Pinoy honored in global seed vault anniversary celebration

OSLO, Norway – Aside from contributing the highest number of seed to the global seed vault, a Filipino farmer was honored during the first year celebration of the Svalvard Global Seed Vault on Thursday, February 26, 2009. The Philippines through the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is the highest donor to the global seed vault. It reportedly contributed 70,000 different varieties of rice from 120 different countries. Norway Minister of Agriculture and Food Lard Peder Brekk praised Tay Gipo, a farmer who, despite having only four years of formal education, discovered a rice variety that proved to be high-yielding and pest resistant, the sample of which is among the thousands of seeds kept at the global seed vault. Minister Brekk said that Tay Gipo was “one of the most memorable voices" during the first global seed vault seminar one year ago where 150 guests representing 33 countries and five continents were present, among them the president of the European Community, Jose Manuel Barrosso; the director general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Jacques Diouf; and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Wangari Maathai. “I (mentioned) his name for two reasons. (First), to illustrate how the field-level knowledge of our farmers continues to be the most important element of crop conservation and second, to keep his memory alive. Just days ago, we received word that our fellow agriculturalist, Tay Gipo, passed away this month at the age of 64." “His legacy remains in the fields of the Philippines - where his “Bordagol" is grown by his neighbors - and their neighbors. And his legacy remains here is Svalbard where seeds of his “Bordagol" are safely stored for the future." Minister Brekk recounted how Tay Gipo discovered the rice which he himself named as “Bordagol." “During a particularly tough year, he noticed one plant in his field that did not succumb to the virus “tungro." He literally had to pull the plant from the mouth of a farm animal who was planning to have it for a snack – he saved the seeds, replanted them and the next season he harvested 25 kilograms just from the seeds of that one plant." “With his incredible success, the rice he himself named “Bordagol" was born. He shared his success by sharing his seeds with his neighbors. The word spread and, in spite of his lack of education, he was invited to join a research institute where he learned rice breeding and improved his “Bordagol," increasing its yield and resilience and therefore increasing the yields of the other farmers in his area." “When he spoke here last year, he ended his talk by asking - and then answering - a question that obviously was on his mind when he made his Odyssey to Svalbard - he asked how the Seed Vault would help him and his family. He answered it himself - frank and straightforward - “I don’t know. I don’t know if it will." “I call upon all of us in this room and countless others who have been involved in this process at all of its levels - the gene banks, the plant breeders, the international organizations, the research institutions, the governments - to remember his question because his answer was in many ways the correct one." “No one knows if the Seed Vault ever will be needed and no one knows if and when the seeds will be sent back to their depositor to restore a seed collection that has been lost." The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is described as the ultimate safety net for the world’s seed banks. The Seed Vault is part of an international network for storage and use of genetic resources. It serves as the ‘central bank" of seeds. Minister Brekk stressed that the world is now facing an unprecedented challenge “that threatens the quality of life on every continent – the climate change." ‘I want to emphasize that the challenges we face can only be met through our joint efforts. Climate change and food insecurity are closely linked, and hence our policies must reflect this reality and be mutually supportive. The sustainable management of our resources will serve to mitigate the effects of climate change but sustainable management also must be seen as the most critical pre-requisite for development." Agriculture depends on the diversity of plant and animal genetic resources, and on their ability to adapt to change. As we face climate change, all of us in the global community need to dedicate ourselves to initiatives to preserve and ensure sustainable use of these resources – initiatives like the Seed Vault, he explained. “As science tries to keep up with the looming threats of changing climates and weather patterns, increasing temperatures and melting ice caps, we here in Svalbard are well aware that the most important use of crop diversity in the coming decades will be helping agriculture adapt to these changes. “At the macro level, I call your attention to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture that now has been signed by 119 nations. It is a compelling example of what can be achieved through collaborative action," he said. Brekk explained that the treaty establishes common rules to make crop diversity freely accessible and to ensure that any benefits derived from that access are shared. “It recognizes farmers’ rights - the contribution to the conservation and development of crop diversity that has taken place in the fields of farmers like Tay Gipo and his neighbors over the millennia - farmers who still use local crops in traditional agricultural systems. Brekk said what Gipo did was remarkable considering that he was not even sure whether he - as a subsistence farmer - would ever benefit from access to genetic resources. “Norway believes that to give positive answers to the kinds of challenges the hundreds of millions of other farmers like Mr. Gipo are facing, it is necessary to be pro-active.," he added. - GMANews.TV