http://www.fao.org/about/meetings/agroecology-symposium-china/en/ Presentation of Yiching Song, from Chinese Academy of Science, on Participatory Plant Breeding and farmer seed networks in China. The presentation was prepared and delivered in occasion of the International Symposium on Agroecology in China, held in Kunming, China on 29-31 August 2016.

1. From PPB to Farmer Seed NetworkFarmer Seed Network::
Enhancing Farmer Seed System for Food Security andEnhancing Farmer Seed System for Food Security and
Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable Development
Yiching SongYiching Song
Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy (CCAP),Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy (CCAP),
Chinese Academy of Science (CAS)Chinese Academy of Science (CAS)

2. PPB in SW China
since 2000-----until now
•Seed registeration, seed bank
exchange,
•PVS, PPB
•Seed production
•Value adding
•Exchange, interaction,
innovation and adaptation…..
-Pre-breeding, in field and lab
Genetic evaluation and
-landraces conservation, gende
bank to CSB
-PPB selection and breeding
-training, exchange, recognition
and supporting …
exchange, colective
leaning, recognition and
supporting …

3. • Farmer-Farmer exchange
and networking
• Farmer- scientists
Exchanges and mutual
support!
•
Why? Support and linking with farmer seed system and
TK for resilience and adaptation
• Working with thousands
such living lab for
adaptation, resilience and
continue…

4. Networking and platform for sharing, Joining force, supporting
scaling up, advocacy………………
Dec 2013,Initiated by CCAP TWN and RM U
.involving 22 rural communities, in 7 provinces
4 public Agriculture R Org (CAAS,CAS)
2 Universities, NGOs,
-Farmer seed exchange, seed
Production, PVS, PPB..
-3 Suggestions for
“seed law” Revision to protec
Farmers’ rights, 1 accepted by PC
in Oct 2014
National Farmer Seed Network
2014 11 15
“ ” 2013
12
!1
MCI SEED LAW PROPOSAL
VOL.1
2014’
WORKSHOP

5. Farmer Seed Network (china)
农民种子网络
微信公众号： zhongziwangluo
-Formally registered in May 2016 in Beijing!

6. For seed 。。。。。。。 ----over 4000 years
farming history, 2000 years small scale intensive
farming economy ，
•still have 240 millions small holding farms, with
average land of 0.5 ha, heterogeneous, and
changing….
-Modern Agriculture ， big success, but resulted in
big problems & crisis, globalization..
Growing needs, concerns, actions and policies are
urgently needed …
FAO: Seed Guideline, GIHAS, Agroecology…
China have the world’s 9% arable land, feed 22% people….

7. For national seed law and policy formulation and implementation..
To support seed security for small holding farming, Ensure ,
sustainable agriculture and food security!
By 7 leading scientists since Mar, 2016, coordinated by FSN, …
Seed Policy workshop in Mid Sept, 2016….
Why?
China has the world’s 9% arable land, feed 22% people…..still
have 240 millions small holding farms, with average land of 0.5
ha, heterogeneous, and changing
…globalization,…multiple country seed companies…
---Challenges and Opportunities ……..
Small holding farmers and Seed:
Opportunities and Challenges in China
小农与种子：中国农业可持续发展的挑战和机会

8. 总目的：配合生态文明战略，响应绿色转型和包容性发展的目标；应对气候变化
的挑战，实现可持续发展的目标 : For SDG, and Green Transformation…
1. 为新种子法的有效实施和进一步完善，提出法律倡导和种子政策建议 4
suggestions for new seed law implementations and further improvement ）
2. 认可，支持，加强农民种子系统 (recognition, supporting Farmer Seed
System in conservation, PVS/PPB, Seed Production and exchange…)
3. 增强科企农合作，鼓励育种机构、种子企业和农户开展互动和合作。依托主
要粮食作物产业体系，启动政策试点 (improving formal seed system by linking
public R, private, farmers.. policy pilot in national programs of staple food
crops first….. )
4. 为响应绿色转型和可持续发展，支持多元多模式生态有机农业，生态和有机
选育种 Agroeco seed selection and organic breeding for agroecology and
green agriculture…..
主要政策建议与行动倡导
major suggestions at policy and action levels

9. Biodiversity is decreasing rapidly, losing related TK and
Traditional culture, values
--
50 native varieties despaired in the
last 10 years, including 13 rice, 10
maize, 6 beans etc, e.g. traditional
crops is despairing e.g. high land
barley, sorghum, oak etc
Reasons for losing: hybrids,
low productivity, labor etc
For keeping: drought
resistance, quality, culture needs,
emotional &spiritual needs ……

10. PPB Field Evidence: Farmer improved PPB landraces
survived Big Spring Drought in SW China in 2010
Farmer
improved
Landraces,
Tolerant to
drought and low
nitrogen with
little fertilizer
and labor
农家种
Hybrid
Variety,
杂交种

11. farmers own Seeds, drought and pest resistance seeds, own seed
networks for exchange, sharing, diversified food and livelihoods to
continue……CSA, PGS ….group, cooperative, FSN!
In 2015:
PVS: 38 maize, 32 soybean,
PPB: 8 maize, 52 landraces..
Seed Production: 2 PPB Vs etc

12. Community Based Seed have been worked well and
carried out by farmers themselves since 2006

13. Community Seed Bank Establishing and link to public
gene banks in GAAS, CAAS, YAAS, and KIB…….

14. PPB, CSA and PGS for Agroecology ..
-
s
• Collective Trade Mark,
GI, trust certification…..
• women grop and
farmer cooperatives…
-Agroecology and organic
farming need farmers’ seeds,
farmers need to value adding
to their seeds, TK and culture
….need CSA, PGS..
….

15. 15
石头城农民传统文化和种子交易会
Farmers TK System
农民系统
poor and remote area
OPVs and landraces,
seed selection and maintenance
Farmer to farmer seed exchange
better off green revolution area
several high yielding hybrids
hybrid breeding,
top-down formal seed system
Technology transfer,
Formal System
Farmers farmers
Farmers farmers
Farmers farmers
Farmers farmers
Breeders
Seed Company
Extension
farmers farmers
farmers
Welcome/ 欢迎！
Question/ 问题
?