Regional training workshop on conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) and farmers’ rights – Asia region proceedings, 5-8 March 2019, Manila, Philippines

The world is facing the interconnected challenges of poverty, food insecurity, climate change and the loss of agricultural biodiversity of global significance. Crop genetic diversity provide the building blocks for farmers to diversify their seed systems and the breeders and scientists to develop new plant varieties necessary to cope with the environmental and socio-ecological changes and requirements. The loss of agricultural biodiversity in our global food production systems is an issue of increasing concern, recognized by the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Losing agricultural biodiversity means losing also the options to make our diets healthier and our food systems more resilient and sustainable. In order to support Contracting Parties and stakeholders to enhance the implementation of the International Treaty in Asia region, a regional training workshop was organized in 2019. The training workshop aimed to provide a platform, between and among Contracting Parties and stakeholders, for the sharing of experiences, best practices and lessons learned on the conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA and the realization of Farmers’ Rights.