YICHING SONG . 23-25 October 2017. Brussels, Belgium. G-STIC 2017: The first Global Science, Technology and Innovation Conference series.

1.
Multi-actor Innovation Platform：
supporting green transformation towards
diversified food systems in China
：
Yiching Song
Centre for Chinese Agriculture Policy,
Chinese Academy Science
Farmer Seed Network in China：
中科院 政策研究中心，全国 民种子网

2. -240 millions small holding farms, 70% women farmers,
with average farm land about 0.5 ha, heterogeneous,
and rapid changing, big differentiation in the last 30
years….
-over 4000 years farming history, 2000 years small
scale intensive farming, seed , soil, the resilience,
modern agriculture only started in 70s-80s，big success,
but also resulted in big problems & crisis. environment,
water, air pollution, food safety, health..
Growing needs, concerns, actions for healthy food,
diversified food production and consumption, urgently
needs for supporting diversified an alternative food
system
China have the world’s 9% arable land, feed 22% people….
Who feed China? ….How?

3. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1961 1967 1973 1979 1985 1991 1997 2003 2009 2015 2021
Fertilizercosumption（10Mt）
GrainYield（t/ha）Grainarea(Mha)
50
70
90
110
130
150
170
190
210
230
250
270
290
粮食总产（亿吨）
50
100
150
200
250
300
Film consump,on/Chemicals consump,on (10000 ton)
40000
45000
50000
55000
60000
65000
70000
1961 1967 1973 1979 1985 1991 1997 2003 2009
粮食总产（亿吨）
有效灌溉面积
50
100
150
200
250
300
50
70
90
110
130
150
170
190
210
230
250
270
290
粮食总产（亿吨）
How food security through achieved?
Success，but big cost!
以增 保粮食安全,高投入和高付出….
Irriga,on水利
Plas,c film地膜
Chemicals
Grain area土地
Fer,lizer化肥
High yield
量
Use half of the world fertilizer, agricultural the biggest pulution
Of soil and water, agro-biodiversity losing…0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2004
China
World

4. Staple Food Crops varieties are losing ..
! GIHAS: Hani rice terraces in Yunnan,
More than 1300 farming history……
3-1 哈尼族聚居区 水稻品种数量的 化
China:
Rice: 46,000 to 1000
Wheat: 13,000 to 500
Maize: 10,000 to 152
(CAAS Data, 2003)

5. losing biodiversity, resilience for climate Change adaptation
Increasing pest due to drought, mono-cropping
!

6. 参与式育种：
合作，交流， 新，多元，
• PPB in SW China
since 2000-----
• FSN (China) in 2013
• Seed registration, 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, link
gene bank to CSB
-PPB selection and breeding
-training, exchange, recognition
and supporting …
exchange, collective
leaning, recognition
and supporting …

7. Climate change affected all the communities i.e.
big drought, extreme whether, increasing pest (1)
Farmers observation of Climate Change during 2002-2012
GX (%) YN (%)
Unusual Rain fall 70.1 61.8
temperature (summer/winter)
78.7 28.5
wind strength 12.2 13.0
Sun shine 23.1 2.4
River water flow 34.4 17.9
Drought 37.1 80.5
flood 22.6 13.8
Insects/Pests 69.2 39.0
Diseases (animal &crop)
40.3 12.2
Extreme whether 5.9 6.5
Mud-rock flow
0.9 *

8.
-Biodiversity is decreasing rapidly, losing
related TK and Traditional culture, values(2)
--
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 shortage etc
For keeping: drought
resistance, quality, test and nutrition,
culture needs, emotional &spiritual
needs ……

9. PPB working with farmers for their own Seeds, drought
and pest resistance, quality, and resilient 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, income increased 3 times

10. Roles of Landraces: for local adaptive process,
as living lab/base for scientific breeding.. (4)
-”Farmers have done
what the state and
scientists neglected
and should received
more regonition and
support!,, need more
PPB and collaboration”
Dr. Shhuang Zhang
Hybrid
Variety,
交种

11. platform for sharing, Joining force, supporting scaling up,
advocacy………………
FSN established, with joint forces of CCAP, TWN and LSMC in Dec 2013,
involving 22 rural communities, in 7 provinces
4 public Agriculture R Org (CAAS,CAS) 2 Universities,
now more Us, NGOs, 36 coms, 10 provinces…
--3 Suggestions for “seed law” Revision, 1 accepted by PC
in Oct 2014!!
It is article 27 existed in old Law, moved out in first revision,
It is that farmers can save, exchange, small scaled produce
and sell seeds at local level.
This is achieved via FSN platform for direct dialogue among
Different stakeholders, especially farmers with policy drafters
and joint submissions from different channels
Farmer Seed Network种子网 平台，种子法修

12. Seeds Exchange among Farmers

13. Conservation and PVS

14. Community based seed production
by women farmer group and cooperatives
--community parent line development of
PPB hybrid V
--share seed and K with other communities
in GX and YN
--experiment seed production of other Vs

15. Seed Registration in all FSN communities
序
号
目点名称
玉
米
水稻
小麦
豆
花生
木薯
甘薯
瓜
果
蔬菜
中草
木
其
他
注
1
江 昆山青澄 划
0 10 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 28 新增10种
2
云南宝山石 城
1 2 1 4 2 0 0 4 1 7 0 0 5 27 新增25种
3 云南宝山石 城牧牛
科
3 2 5 4 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 4 22 新增14种
4
广西武 社区
9 8 0 3 2 3 0 0 8 0 119 0 0 152
5
广西 山 古寨村
6 0 3 11 0 0 6 9 13 18 25 0 2 93
6
广西 城 古毛屯
6 1 0 4 0 0 1 0 11 12 7 0 1 43
7
广西都安 弄律屯
3 8 0 3 2 0 1 0 0 10 0 0 1 28
8
广西都安 弄社屯
9 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 8 16 21 11 3 73
9
广西大化 弄委屯
4 0 0 6 0 0 2 1 5 2 0 0 1 21
1
0
广西河池市九圩
3 0 0 4 0 0 1 1 3 2 29 0 1 44
1
1
广西宜州市
1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
1
2 广西柳州古 老秋
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 12 0 0 0 15 新社区
合
45 31 9 52 6 3 14 21 49 84 202 11 21 548
广西柳州古 的老秋 是新增加 源登 的社区。
云南宝山石 城、牧牛科和江 昆山青澄 划，共3个社区增加了新的作物品种 源登 。
截止到2016年12月底，共12社区登 品种 源548种，其中2016年新增64种。

16. Community Seed Bank Establishing and link
to public gene banks in YAAS and KIB…….

17. Community Seed Bank for communication, recognition, linkage etc

18. CSB in a Youth Organic Farm near Shanghai,
As voluntary training Centre and U summer camp etc

19. GIHAS in North East China,
8000 millet cultivation history, concern from Gov
liking to rising market

20. Conservation and Utilization, seeds to table
Value adding need trust Building via CSA, PGS!
-
s
Trust Building via CSA, PGS!
Linking producers with
consumers, rural to urban
sectors!!
value adding for market linkage…
PVS for organic rice, duck, organic
vegetable garden etc….
..link to organic restaurants and
farmer markets etc,
-more 3 times income increase

21. com
munit
y
Soy
bea
n
Soybean
milk
From Seeds to Food: linking community with civil
society
Soybe
an
chees
douf
u
Soy
Bean
Seed
豆子品
种
Commun
ity and
farming
Changi
ng
process

23. The Importance for Policy
and legal support to strengthen farmer Seed System
for farmers’ right, adaptation and SDG!
If article 27 have had removed in new Seed Law,
It would be illegal for farmers to save, exchange, small
scaled produce and sell seeds at local level!!
All these mentioned dynamic seed conservation and
utilization activities and process would not possible!
Any technologies and innovation of the farmers would
have been lost eventually!!

24. 24
石 城 民 文化和种子交易会
Farmers TK System
民系
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/ 迎！
Thanks、 !
！