GLOBAL SEED SAVERS: PRESERVING FOOD DIVERSITY THROUGHOUT THE PHILIPPINES Join us for the 8th Annual Nourish Event on Saturday, October 20
By Sherry Manning Global Seed Savers is a Denver based international development non-profit organization supporting smallholder farmers in creating local food security and fostering a healthy environment through technical training and the establishment of community-owned and operated seed libraries in the Philippines. We are committed to supporting food security in the Philippines. Through educating and empowering farmers to return to the historical practice of saving seeds they are no longer dependent on purchasing seeds after each planting and forced to use harmful chemicals to grow these seeds. Through our education and training programs Filipino Organic Farmers gain the hands-on skills and knowledge they need to propagate, store, save, and sell their own regionally adapted organic seeds. This empowers farmers to be self-sufficient and ensures that organic seeds are more readily available throughout the Philippines.
Program Accomplishments Since 2015
• Trained over 600 farmers in seed saving practices and sustainable agriculture. • Conducted over 2000 hours of technical training programs for farmers. • Doubled the membership of the Benguet Association of Seed Savers (BASS) from 7 to 25 farmers. • Open the first of its kind Seed Library
in the Philippines, stocked with over 30 different varieties of locally produced non-chemical seeds. • Our farmers save over 50% of their annual income through local seed access and production. This year we have been thrilled to see our work spread to new regions of the Philippines and are very excited to be forming a strong collaborative partnership in Cebu City. Cebu is located in the Central Visayas Region of the Philippines (see map) and a regional hub for all activity in the south. Our partners at the Cebu Farmers Market have already opened a small seed library and we are formalizing our continued collaborations in the coming months. This will likely include hiring a Cebu based Global Seed Savers Team Member to rep-
licate our successful model from Benguet Province with partner farmers in Cebu to manage the seed library development and expansion. We are excited to be forming a strong program model with hubs in the North and South of the Philippines and continuing to see our impact grow in local ownership and sustainability. Stay tuned for more news about these developments! Visit www.globalseedsavers.org to learn more about Global Seed Savers.
Nourish Event Filipino Brunch
Join us on Saturday, Oct. 20 in Denver for our 8th Annual Nourish Event to learn more about our work and support our dedicated farmers. As always the event will feature an exciting silent auction, Filipino inspired brunch cuisine prepared by Orange Crunch Catering, and more! This year, we are honored to have our Philippines Country Manager Karen Lee Hizola join us for the event. Karen has been a dedicated staff member for the last three years and a huge part of our programmatic growth and expansion throughout the Philippines. Meet Karen and hear firsthand how our work is changing lives during her keynote address! Saturday, October 20 | 11am-2pm The Posner Center for International Development 1031 33rd Street, Denver, CO 80205 Ticket Link: goo.gl/Xsssbe
Global Seed Savers| asian avenue magazine
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