Genebanks Like IRG Seen Vital To Farmers’ Rights At Global Meet
29 September 2025, Philippines: Fair access to seeds and planting materials took center stage at the 2nd Global Symposium on Farmers’ Rights in Manila. During the event, leaders recognized how genebanks, like the International Rice Genebank (IRG), are turning conservation into practical gains for farmers.
Key leaders graced the event, leaving remarks about the importance of protecting yields to help farmers. Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr., through Undersecretary Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, stressed that farmers’ rights go beyond laws and policies, reflecting heritage, fairness, and protecting those who ensure food security. Dr. Gerald Glenn Panganiban, head of the Bureau of Plant Industry and focal point for the International Plant Treaty, further emphasized the country’s progress in preserving traditional knowledge, broadening seed access, and strengthening farmer participation in decision-making, during his remarks.
The symposium pointed out the persistent barriers in these areas as affirmed under Article 9 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). Farming communities from Kalinga, Ifugao, Benguet, Albay, Bohol, and Lake Sebu were recognized for safeguarding seed systems and sustaining indigenous practices.
IRRI’s genebank team, former IRRI staff, together with partners from DA-PhilRice and DA-Regional Field Offices in Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-RFO CAR), reunites with farmer-partner communities from Quezon, Benguet and Kalinga provinces, including the Mulanay Coconut Farmers Association and the Cordillera Heirloom Rice Farmers Association, during the symposium.
FAO Representative Dr. Lionel Dabbadie cited IRRI and the University of the Philippines Los Baños for conserving 62 heirloom rice varieties, characterizing over 200 rice types, and sequencing more than 1,000 genomes.
To personally witness the work behind genebanks, delegates toured IRG in IRRI’s headquarters in Los Baños. The IRG houses the world’s largest rice collection with over 132,000 rice accessions from more than 130 countries.
On the last day of the symposium (19th September), delegates toured IRRI’s IRG to see firsthand how seed access supports farmers’ rights and safeguards biodiversity.
The visit highlighted how the International Rice Genebank goes beyond seed conservation, with its materials already raising yields in the field. In Quezon Province, for instance, Philippine traditional materials in IRG have shown the potential to boost harvests more than double the harvest compared to farmer-grown traditional varieties without changing farmers’ practices and without additional inputs.
Delegates join a rice tasting showcasing varieties from Indonesia, Japan, and beyond, including pigmented and specialty types.
“Breeding always starts with the best lines,” according to the head of IRG, Dr. Venuprasad Ramaiah.“We provide the materials, communities test them, and farmers decide what works for their fields,” he noted.
The genebank is also deploying artificial intelligence for seed sorting, viability testing, and climate-resilience screening with support from a Google research grant.
FAO’s ITPGRFA Technical Officer Mario Marino welcomed the innovations and noted the progress over the past decade. “Compared to 10 years ago, a lot has changed. The new tools and data are impressive,” he said.
He also highlighted the International Treaty’s potential role in enabling lost genetic materials to be recovered and shared, safeguarding biodiversity for future generations.
Held under the theme “Farmers’ Rights: Honoring Heritage, Preserving Biodiversity, and Cultivating Food Security for a Shared Future,” the event built on the first symposium in India in 2023 and reinforced global commitment to ensuring biodiversity remains accessible for breeding, research, and sustainable farming.
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