IUCN Seed Conservation Specialist Group’s resources

The mission of the Seed Conservation Specialist Group is to promote seed conservation by providing a network for knowledge-sharing in different ecosystems around the world, and aiding in prioritization, capacity building, and development of best practices.

We have > 100 members, from > 25 countries on 6 continents, including seed bank managers, academic researchers, conservation practitioners, national and international coordinators, and other specialists from around the world.

We work with the IUCN Species Survival Commission to achieve “a just world that values and conserves nature through positive action to reduce the loss of diversity of life on earth.”

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2025

Securing the genetic resource base of Indigenous plants species

Securing the genetic resource base of Indigenous plants species: A Community Biodiversity Conservation Initiative

We have developed a manual which can help smallholder women farmers replicate the solutions in the South West of Nigeria. At the national level, collaborating with policy makers to include indigenous food plants as key components of in the School feeding programs as well as the Anchor borrowers programme for micro-credits. Our Seed bank Open day programmes provide avenues for exchange and display of seed diversity as well as a model for local seed bank scale up to a national project for the conservation of a larger number of wild crop relatives in Nigeria. We are currently advocating at the National legislature to provide legislative laws on the inclusion of Indigenous food plants to the Nigerian Food policy programme. These initiatives when pulled together will contribute significantly to indigenous Plant Species Conservation.

With limited access to land, women are still custodians of Biodiversity with Knowledge to bolster food security. 65% of the participating community members were women. 53% ages 40-65, 47% ages 18-39. Women participation was supported by their husbands. This saw more women take decision on dietary requirements for their families and strong participatory roles in management and benefits sharing.

Households created small/medium-sized enterprises for steady economic growth which put less pressure to their surrounding forest. As a result of less pressure on the forest for livelihood, new revenue streams are up and running. Local base ecosystems have facilitated growth not only within the Forest Community but beyond, creating opportunities for decent work. Achieving social inclusion was to emphasize “local ownership”. Setting up spaces for dialogue that allowed for the active and inclusive participation of local people ensured that priorities were determined locally and that local concerns were at the core of all activities.

2020

Revolución de los Baldes: Compostaje Comunitario de Residuos Orgánicos Domésticos

Desde 2008, el proyecto Revolución de los Baldes impacta en la comunidad necesitada de Chico Mendes, ubicada en el barrio Monte Cristo, en Florianópolis-SC. El objetivo de este proyecto es fomentar la gestión comunitaria de residuos orgánicos, promover la agricultura urbana y la inclusión socioeconómica de los participantes en la iniciativa. En esta práctica, se aplica el método de compostaje termofílico en las esterillas estáticas con ventilación pasiva con el fin de reciclar los residuos orgánicos transformándolos en abonos orgánicos. La logística del proyecto se basa en la distribución de baldes a las familias interesadas en la segregación de los orgánicos en sus hogares y el posterior descarte en bombonas situadas en puntos de entrega voluntaria estratégicamente distribuidos en las calles. Los jóvenes que participan en la iniciativa son responsables de la concienciación de la comunidad sobre la adecuada separación de los residuos orgánicos en origen.

2020

Gobernanza para la adaptación en Chiapas – México

Chiapas es un país mega diverso y altamente vulnerable al cambio climático. Es uno de los estados con ingresos más bajos de México y la mayoría de la población vive en áreas rurales. Las comunidades locales implementan medidas de conservación y AbE, pero se necesitan más mecanismos financieros y una mejor participación y gobernanza multinivel.

Esta solución crea un modelo de gobierno participativo y multidimensional (BB1) y utiliza un enfoque por ecosistemas (BB2). Fortalece el Consejo Asesor de Cambio Climático de Chiapas (CCAD), la plataforma para la participación pública y el consejo asesor de la Comisión de Coordinación de Cambio Climático de la Secretaría. La solución se centró en reactivar este Consejo para que se convierta en un puente entre la formulación de políticas y la acción de adaptación local.

2020

Jaguar, Ocelotl, Tepeyollotl: el corazón del monte y la conservación biocultural en espacios naturales

La relación del humano como un componente más de la naturaleza ha generado una gama amplia de interacciones, siendo una de ellas, la relación biocultural del jaguar y la naturaleza con las poblaciones indígenas de América. Esta relación única es de las pocas relaciones que persisten en la actualidad, pese a los procesos históricos que la han afectado.

El jaguar en el mundo prehispánico, y todavía en algunas zonas de México, es considerado el corazón del monte; guardían y dios de los espacios naturales. Pese a su riqueza cultural y biológica, las condiciones sociales y ambientales han reducido su espacio simbólico, material y ecológico.

Biofutura es pionera en aplicar un modelo biocultural y ético para la conservación de la naturaleza, a través de la restructuración de la relación humano-naturaleza, siendo el jaguar especie clave para acercar a las personas a la naturaleza, a sus raíces culturales y a la comprensión de la animalidad y su relación con la bioética.

Forest conservation through building on indigenous knowledge

In Paraguay we have managed to combine the vision of biodiversity conservation with the restitution of ancestral lands of the Mbyaguarani indigenous people. What we have called “socioenvironmental condominium” is a sample of what can be achieved between environmental organizations and indigenous peoples. Our goals are common and can be achieve by working with those who better understand conservation in situ: native peoples.

Adaptation to Climate Change in Morocco by Protecting Genetic Resources and Retaining their Fair Use

Many ecosystem services in Morocco are being over-utilised and increasingly threatened by the impacts of climate change. The solution applied includes (a) the development of the legal and institutional framework in support of the Moroccan Government, (b) awareness raising,(c) incorporatiion of ecosystem services and climate change adaptation into regional and municipal development plans, (d) improved environmental monitoring, (e) assistance in making use of Morocco’s biological resources.

Synthesizing Australian Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge

An endnote bibliographic database was created to synthesise Australian Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge (IBK) from existing publicly available documents. This is now available in one place at www.aibk.info for people to search what IBK exists and in what areas (spatially) via an interactive map. Case studies of IBK are also showcased on this website.

Governance for adaptation in Chiapas – Mexico

Chiapas is mega-diverse and highly vulnerable to climate change. It is among Mexico’s lowest income States and with a mayority of population living in rural areas. In this context, local communities are implementing conservation and EbA measures, but further financial and improved participation and multilevel governance mechanisms are needed.

This solution builds a multidimensional governance and participatory model (BB1) and uses an ecosystem approach (BB2). It strengthens the Climate Change Advisory Council of Chiapas (CCAD) which is the platform for public participation and consultative body of the Climate Change Inter-Secretariat Coordination Commission. The solution focused on reactivating this Council to become a bridge between policy-making and local adaptation action.

Strengthening capacities and reducing risks to stimulate a process of long term adaptation

The National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC) has put in place a participatory, inclusive process of creating awareness about socio-enviornmental problems as well as strengthening capacities and reducing vulnerabilities (e.g. damaged property during floodings, water-born diseases, loss of ecosystem services) in three communities of the Carmen-Pajonal- Machona Lagoon System (SLCPM, using its Spanish acronym). Thereby, the institute has managed to establish the foundations for a local process of long-term adaptation. This process includes the development of a social enterprise offering rainwater capture and water purification; community-led reforestation activities; and the construction of infrastructure (“palafitos” – houses on stilts) designed to reduce risks to property in time of flooding.

Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing

The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity. is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, thereby contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The Nagoya Protocol sets out core obligations for its contracting Parties to take measures in relation to access to genetic resources, benefit-sharing and compliance. The Nagoya Protocol addresses traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources with provisions on access, benefit-sharing, and compliance. It also addresses genetic resources where indigenous and local communities have the established right to grant access to them. Contracting Parties should take measures to ensure these communities’ free, prior, informed consent, keeping in mind community laws and procedures as well as customary use and exchange. The Nagoya Protocol entered into force on 12 October 2014.

How to use

The Nagoya Protocol is available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian at: https://www.cbd.int/abs

Nagoya Protocol Factsheets on access and benefit sharing can be downloaded at: https://www.cbd.int/abs/factsheet

Free Prior Informed Consent

This Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) Manual is designed as a tool for project practitioners (herein referred as project managers) for a broad range of projects and programmes (hereinafter to be referred to as projects) of any development organization, by providing information about the right to FPIC and how it can be implemented in six steps.

FPIC is a principle protected by international human rights standards that state, ‘all peoples have the right to self-determination’ and – linked to the right to self-determination – ‘all peoples have the right to freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development’. Backing FPIC are the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the Convention on Biological Diversity and the International Labour Organization Convention 169, which are the most powerful and comprehensive international instruments that recognize the plights of Indigenous Peoples and defend their rights.

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)

The Treaty was developed by FAO. The objectives of the Treaty are the conservation and sustainable use of all plant genetic resources for food security and agriculture, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their use. The Treaty puts 64 of the most important crops that together account for 80% of the food derived from plants into an easily accessible global pool of genetic resources that is freely available to potential users in the Treaty’s ratifying nations for some uses. The Treaty ensures that access to genetic resources already protected by international property rights is consistent with international and national laws.

How to use

The Treaty and further information can be accessed at: https://www.fao.org/plant-treaty/en/

The capacity development strategy of the international treaty 2023–2030 are available at: https://www.fao.org/3/nk298en/nk298en.pdf