:: SEARICE’s Contribution to Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources

The Community Biodiversity Development and Conservation and Biodiversity Use and Conservation in Asia Programme (CBDC-BUCAP) aims to strengthen the capacity of farmers to manage their plant genetic resources (PGR) and to secure their local seed systems through conservation, crop improvement and sustainable utilization. The Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives for Community Empowerment (SEARICE) is the regional coordinator of the CBDC-BUCAP program which is being implemented in the fi ve rice-growing countries of Bhutan, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. At the end of 2008, the CBDC-BUCAP Program has made a signifi cant contribution to the conservation and development of PGR diversity, particularly in terms of building farmers’ capacity to select and develop varieties that meet their needs and preferences.