IIRR and IPB conduct a training workshop on “Conservation and Utilization of Agrobiodiversity”

The International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), in collaboration with the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), organized a training workshop on “Conservation and Utilization of Agrobiodiversity”, participated by teachers at selected schools under the Department of Education (DepEd) Region IV-A CALABARZON, from February 19 to 20, 2024.

The two-day activity aimed to enrich the knowledge and skills of the schoolteachers in conserving various genetic cultivars and ensuring biodiversity access and availability of resources.

The first part of the program was held at the IPB Seminar Room, wherein the IPB researchers discussed the significance of fruit and vegetable conservation, demonstrated practical seed-saving techniques, and facilitated the evaluation of cultivated indigenous vegetable crops in terms of adaptability, palatability, maintenance, and cooking preparations. The participants were also able to identify priority crops available in their schools and had the chance to tour the National Plant Genetic Resources Laboratory (NPGRL) of IPB.

In the second part of the training workshop conducted in JJ Hall, YC James Yen Center, IIRR, Silang, Cavite, the participants presented their outputs about the potential linkages of formal plant genetic resources (PGRs) to schools and mapping of stakeholders and related policies for seed conservation initiatives. The academic institutions involved are expected to integrate biodiverse garden systems into their curriculum; establish and cultivate school gardens; participate in seed exchanges, seed saving, and seed distribution; and impart the importance of agrobiodiversity conservation in local food systems. For IIRR, “schools play a crucial role in fostering agrobiodiversity conservation among students and in the broader community”.

Moreover, this is part of the IIRR and IPB-UPLBFI project team’s collaborative research to support the conservation, promotion, and improvement of indigenous vegetable and fruit seed systems. According to Elmer E. Enicola, a university researcher, this partnership “also contributes to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research’s (CGIAR’s) Initiative on Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable, Healthy Diets (FRESH), which intends to build resilient cities by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables, specially underutilized food crops, for better health, nutrition, and livelihood while improving garden resilience and positive environmental outcomes”. (Dianne B. Ubaldo)