Approaching & Engaging the Community: Community Biodiversity Registers Farmer-Led Documentation FAO 28 Sept 2007 Approaching & Engaging the Community: Community Biodiversity Registers Bhuwon Sthapit and Pablo Eyzaguirre b.sthapit@cgiar.org p.eyzaguirre@cgiar.org

Conserving diversity: Raising awareness Increasing public awareness includes returning information and project results to the communities who participated Sharing information helps ensure resource conservation, local economic development and distribution of the benefits from biodiversity top those who pay the direct costs for its maintenance. Techniques for sharing information: Public meetings and workshops Exchange visits Use of radio, film and paper media Diversity fairs Traditional food fairs Use of poetry, songs, essays and drama Courses, exhibits, games in schools Local museums

Conserving diversity: Raising awareness Rural Diversity Drama sharing of ideas between local artists & team field visit for picking up local story base drama in rural setting Impact-reaching a wide range of people across age, gender, wealth and ethnic groups

Conserving diversity: Raising awareness Rural Poetry Journey Orientation on project concept and goals Overnight field visit by a team of poets Creation of poems about value of biodiversity Recite in situ for local people Impact: popular and good documentation

Conserving diversity: Raising awareness Diversity fair ..community based competitive event to display local crop diversity locating diversity and recognizing custodians enhance exchange of materials and knowledge rapid assessment of varietal diversity sensitize community enhance farmer participation collection of germplasm Since project also has empowerment goal, participatory approaches such as diversity fair was organized to locate diversity, custodians, seed samples an knowledge. This event has been done by local community and the project supporting prize money and technical support. This also allows researcher to assess diversity very quickly. This approach has been scaled up from Nepal to Vietnam and many in situ projects Impact: awareness; increased diversity

Conserving diversity: Raising awareness Diversity blocks non-replicated blocks (by ecological domain) under farmer’s management characterization and evaluation of farmers’ varieties and preferred traits assessment of consistency of farmers’ descriptors in naming and describing cultivars selection for parent seed multiplication for diversity kits community sensitization

Conserving diversity: Raising awareness Diversity kits a set of small quantity of seeds for informal research and development encourage farmers to search, select and maintain preferred local genetic resources deployment diversity for managing pests and disease stresses strengthening seed networks for improved gene flow enhance farmer participation This approach is very similar to IRD distribution but not the PVS.

Community-based PGR management Community-based genetic resource management: linking farmers to genebank and utilization National Genebank Formal Breeding Community bio-diversity register Options VA PPB Diversity fair/ block* strengthening local capacity facilitating exchange of information and materials managing farmer information database and using for accessing genetic resources, enhancing consumer demand, improving the material and contributing to national genebank understanding the factors that influence farmer decision making to maintain diversity sensitizing local community and institutions Household seed store Farmer’s seed supply system Community-based PGR management (Source: Sthapit and Jarvis, 1999)

Community Biodiversity Register A register (farmer information database) maintained by community based organizations for keeping inventory of biodiversity and associated knowledge holders and monitoring local crop diversity for the community benefits and needs.

Community Biodiversity Register Difference in approach?: recognition that community controls information, materials and decision making process strengthen local capacity for conservation and utilization decisions decentralization of farmer information database at community level local commitment and a sense of ownership address the needs of rural livelihoods and income code of conduct for access to and benefit sharing

Community Biodiversity Register Objectives: documentation monitoring marketing exchange fight biopiracy ownership

Minimum data set required at house-hold level What do we have? Why do we need to conserve them? How do we utilise them? What are the values of the materials? Who has traditional knowledge and how is it transmitted? What are genetic resources that can be shared within and outside the community? What are the most valued TK and resources that should be kept as community-specific trade secret or prior informed consent?

Steps/ Process Steps for implementing farmer information database, CBR Analysis and sharing of information and link with R&D Recording of CBR for understanding diversity Agreement on roles and responsibilities and code of conduct for sharing information and benefits Steps/ Process Setting objectives of CBR with community I am going to share some of the initial findings of PPB process used in the on-farm conservation of agro-biodiversity. PPB is seen in the broader context of In situ conservation through use. Considering ecological complexity and socio-cultural criteria the ecosystems for in situ conservation was located. Diversity fair is used to locate diversity and custodians with public awareness and community participation objectives. Diversity fair is considered as of the means to understand local crop diversity. CBR is for monitoring diversity and developing strategic options of adding benefits-market, non-market methods. PPB can be an entry point for on-farm conservation through adding values of endemic landrace with endorsement of farming community. Training for CBR documentation Diversity fair for locating diversity and custodians Sharing ideas with community and grassroots institutions

Using CBR information for plant conservation On-farm conservation common Using CBR information for plant conservation Using four-cell analysis Large area Many households Large area Few households Small area Many households Small area Few households Germplasm enhancement Participatory plant breeding Value addition Market links Awareness Ex situ conservation rare

Conserving diversity: Local initiatives Community genebanks – Link conservation to production at community level Distribute seeds on a loan basis Income generation Address farmers’ needs for access to crop genetic diversity Ensure sustainable supply of planting materials Facilitate market access

Strengthening capacity of local institution as community resource centre Local institution to continue the work Improve access of local genetic resources Maintain community biodiversity register Impart conservation education –schools to local people Support CBM programme: Community seed bank e.g. ADCS, Nepal Support network of nurseries e.g. home garden in Ilam Support the annual work plan of CBOs, women groups and NGOs etc…

Nepal: Community biodiversity register: Transferring knowledge from one generation to the next Thank you.