Editor: Anisa Widyasari
Climate change, unpredictable weather patterns, and economic instability have led to declining crop yields and shifts in agricultural practices. Combined with seed monopolies, these factors threaten the survival of traditional, local, and native plant genetics, putting them at risk of extinction. To address these challenges, ensuring farmers’ rights to own and save seeds—particularly traditional and local varieties—is crucial in achieving food sovereignty.
This year, the Seed for the Future: Future of Young Farmers and Seeds in Agriculture festival took place from January 23-24, 2025, in Yasothon Province, Thailand. The event was organized through collaborations with the Alternative Agriculture Network, Sustainable Agriculture Foundation (Thailand), BioThai Foundation, Community of Agro-ecology Foundation, Isaan Sustainable Agricultural Knowledge Management Institution (สถาบันการจัดการความรู้เกษตรกรรมยั่งยืนภาคอีสาน), Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), Project SEVANA South-East Asia, and Towards Organic Asia.
The seed fair played a vital role in fostering sustainable agricultural networks, encouraging younger generations to engage in farming, and strengthening connections among farmers and peasants. The first day of the festival was lively and engaging, featuring representatives from peasant networks, agricultural organizations, and foundations. Exhibitors included young organic farmers from Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Various exhibitions showcased seeds and local products from different regions, facilitating sharing and exchange. Many of the displayed seeds were carefully collected and stored by farmers within their networks and were also available for purchase.
The first day of the seeds festival was vibrant, and crowded with people whether the peasant networks, local officers, and attendees.
Participants and exhibitors exchange knowledge about seeds. Some plant seeds came from several different places, e.g., Central Highland of Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Northern Thailand.
Several local traditional rices from Thailand are being presented at the event, displaying the varieties of rice.
Panel Discussion: Plant Genetics and Farmers’ Adaptation
The first panel discussion focused on plant genetic resources, seed production, collection, and sales. Panelists included representatives from the Traditional Rice Genetic Conservation and Development Network in Kummad Subdistrict, Yasothon Province, Dr. Boonrat Jongdee (former researcher at Ubon Ratchathani Rice Research Center), Mr. Pattana Pasorn (Walai Rukhavej Botanical Research Institute, Mahasarakham University), and Mr. Noppadon Mansak (Knowledge Management Foundation and Farmer Schools Network, Nakhon Sawan). The discussion emphasized the urgent need to preserve local and traditional seed varieties, which are increasingly at risk of extinction.
Panel Discussion: Plant Genetics and Farmers’ Adaptation
Workshops: Innovation, Knowledge, and Practices from Young Farmers
Several interactive workshops were held under the theme Innovation, Knowledge, and Practices from the New Generation of Farmers, including:
- Water Management in Agriculture
- Adding Value to Organic Farm Products
- Cooking with Local Rice Flour – Participants learned how to make a pizza using local rice flour, topped with ingredients sourced from the region.
- Techniques for Seed Selection and Collection – This session, led by young farmers from Surin and Khon Kaen, demonstrated methods for selecting high-quality seeds from tomatoes and lettuce.
Panel Discussion: Community Genetic Resource Management and Policies Affecting Seed Security in Southeast Asia
The second panel discussion explored the impacts of agricultural policies on seed security in Southeast Asia. Panelists included Jon Jandai from Pun Pun Center for Self Reliance, Taam and People Association (Thailand) (สมาคมคนทาม), and representatives from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Moderated by Ms. Kingkorn Narintarakul Na Ayutthaya and Mr. Ubon Yuwa, the session highlighted how international trade conventions – the 1978 International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and the 1999 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – influenced Thai’s law and threatened farmer’s rights to seed savings. The discussion also explained challenges from monoculture farming and chemical fertilizers dominate modern agriculture, often at the expense of seed diversity and farmers’ sustainability.
Farmer representatives from guest countries shared their experiences with organic farming. The Laotian representative noted legal restrictions on seed collection and saving, while in Myanmar, seed banks work to preserve local seeds despite challenges posed by climate change and political instability. Cambodian farmers, facing debt from microfinance schemes, are shifting towards sustainable farming through organic and mixed-species plantations.
Speakers also reflected on the festival’s impact, emphasizing how knowledge-sharing and seed-saving initiatives could be implemented in their home countries.
“Shim (ชิม) and Shine” Session
This session featured three hands-on workshops:
Local Herbal Teas
Participants explored tea varieties made from locally grown rice, fruits, and herbs.
The tea tasting session is giving examples of tea which its process can be creative, and made from rice, local “Chiangda” leaves, bael fruit tea, etc.
Fruit Tasting – Showcasing unique local fruit varieties.
Various kinds of local fruits are brought for everyone to try.
Innovative Traditional Beverages
Farmers and young entrepreneurs demonstrated how to process traditional beverages to enhance their market value.
Drinks from local ingredients and organic products are being presented, representing the process which came from creativity, and wisdom passed down from generation to generation.
The second day began with an inspirational public speaking session, TED Talk: Farming and Young Farmers’ Happiness. Young farmers from various regions of Thailand shared their personal journeys, discussing how they returned to their hometowns to integrate modern agricultural knowledge with traditional practices. Their experiences underscored how organic and sustainable farming can create lasting value for their communities.
TED Talk: Farming and Young Farmers’ Happiness
Panel Discussion: Guidelines for the Registration and Protection of Local Plant Varieties
This session explored the implementation of Thailand’s Plant Varieties Protection Act B.E. 2542 (1999) and its impact on local farmers. Panelists included representatives from farmer networks in Yasothon and Songkhla, experts from the Department of Agriculture, and the Secretary of BioThai Foundation. The discussion emphasized that registering local plant genetics requires collaboration among farmers, local administrative offices, educational institutions, and agricultural cooperatives. The process involves documenting a plant’s history and characteristics, which farmers can undertake with guidance from researchers and NGOs. However, the discussion also highlighted political challenges and the need for shared goals between farmers and institutional stakeholders.
Panel Discussion: Guidelines for the Registration and Protection of Local Plant Varieties
Seed Exchange
Before concluding the festival, participants engaged in a seed exchange, sharing fruits, crops, and seeds from Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, reinforcing the spirit of community and sustainability.
After the festival, young farmers, participants, and researchers visited the Community Enterprise of Traditional Rice Genetic Conservation and Development in Kummad Subdistrict, Yasothon Province (กลุ่มอนุรักษ์และพัฒนาข้าวพื้นบ้าน ตำบลกำแมด จังหวัดยโสธร). Mr. Daoreung Puchpon, the project leader, introduced their rice genetic restoration initiative, discussing challenges such as climate change, the long breeding cycle of traditional rice, and the importance of community trust.
The second stop was an organic rice farm that integrates mixed plantations along rice field ridges. Finally, participants visited Kudchum Hospital, where traditional medicinal herbs from Kum Mad Subdistrict are processed into treatments for patients and local residents. This initiative not only adds value to local organic products but also preserves traditional knowledge of medicinal plants.
