1.
Supporting the poor and indigenous
communities starting with their own seeds
From PVS/PPB to Farmer Seed Network in China
By
Yiching Song
Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy,
Chinese Academy of Science

2.
Linking two systems through PPB for crop
Improvement, biodiversity enhancement and
farmer empowerment
farmers’ seed system
farmers farmers
farmers farmers
farmers farmers
breeders
seed company
extension
farmers farmers farmers
formal seed system
PPB
farmers farmers
PPB in Guangxi started in
Guangxi, since 2000 ……

3.
PPB working with farmers for their own Seeds, drought
and pest resistance, quality, and continue seeds…..
• Since 2000 in Guangxi, then to
Yunnan, Guizhou ….
• Conserved more than 1000 farmer
preferred landraces (maize, rice, etc)
• Bred out 12 PPB varieties inc 1 hybrid
• yield increased 15-30%, quality seed
and food for income increased 3 times

4.
Farmer Seed Network spring of 2014, linking, for
scaling out & up, empowerment, supporting,
2014 11 15
“ ” 2013
12
!1
MCI SEED LAW PROPOSAL
VOL.1
2014’
WORKSHOP
• linking farmer to farmers, 26 communities
from 7 provinces, SW, East, North and
Central China, maize, rice, potato, soybean,
vegetables…
• Linking farmers with scientists, CAAS, GMRI,
IKB….
• Linking farmers with policy making process,
seed law revision…
• Suggestion accepted for protecting farmers’
right in New Seed Law!!!!

5.
Working for more drought and pest resistance seeds, farmers own
Seeds, own seed networks for exchange, sharing, diversified
food and livelihoods to continue……
2013: Started PPB with support from PPB
farmers from GX and GMRI
In 2015:
PVS: 38 maize, 32 soybean, conserved
-PPB: 8 maize improved 15 yield,
-30% income, drought resistance, quality,
culture….
-Seed Production: 2 PPB Vs, …income
From seed and crop
and seed distributed via SFN etc

6.
四：最终的出路和应对
参与式行动，多学科多层面合作联合：
e.g.全国农民种子网络 Farmer Seed Network (China)
全国CSA网络， PGS网络, 全国合作社平台。
西南种子网络，广西种子网络。。
Community Seed Bank Established, & link to public gene
banks in ICS, KIB for conservation and utilzation…….

7.
7
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
Stone Village in Yunnan, SW China
•Naxi people’s early settlement and spiritual homeland, over 1500 years
•Home of 220 Naxi families from 6 natural villages
•sitting on a rocky mountain overlooking Yangtze river
• With a history of 1400 years of terrace farming,
with a old water irregation system…
•a biodiversity hotspot, with over 20 local staple food crops
and about 180 native varieties
Why it could survive all the nature
& human changes and disasters? …
Supporting the poor, by recognizing and supporting their seeds!!!

8.
• Farmer-Farmer exchange and
networking
• Farmer- scientists Exchanges
and mutual support!
• Collaboration, South to South,
South to North
•
Networking and Collaboration are crucial for resilience
and adaptation for all the Challenges and Changes…
• Working with thousands
such living labs like stone
village for adaptation,
resilience, continue and
survival…..