Climate Smart Seed Industry: Asia Seed Pre-Congress Workshop

BANGKOK: A diverse lineup of experts will convene on November 13 to discuss a “Climate Smart Seed Industry” in Asia and the Pacific. APSA’s Pre Congress Workshop will convene 9am and conclude at 5pm, with the full itinerary listed herein. Climate change in agriculture threatens global food security. Crop agriculture is very sensitive to climate change variations. An improved understanding of the impacts and responses to these changes in various climatic parameters helps build resilience of the crop production systems. Seed industry adapts itself to the changing climate through use of high yielding stress tolerant varieties and improved agronomic practices. Seed industry is regarded as the cornerstone of global food security and must be equipped to deliver quality seeds to meet the challenges of climate change variations with appropriate technologies. Climate Smart Seed Industry is the theme of this year’s Pre Congress Workshop at the Asian Seed Congress 2017. At this Workshop, leading experts from the region and beyond will discuss the issues concerned and guide on how to adapt to the effects of climate change on seed industry. Dr. Marco Wopereis (Director General of World Vegetable Center, Taiwan) will discuss the challenges and opportunities for the expansion of vegetable cultivation. He will highlight how adapting traits like early maturity, tolerance to heat, draught, salinity, water logging, pests and diseases, as well as, promoting cultivation and consumption of resilient indigenous vegetables, adopting IPM strategies and developing pragmatic policies can enhance preparedness to sustain vegetable production in evolving environments.                      

Mr. Marco Wopereis

Dr. Leo Sebastian (Regional Program Leader South East Asia, CGIAR Program on Climate Change, Agriculture & Food Security) will discuss what is needed to establish a responsive climate smart seed system to effectively operationalize climate smart agriculture.

Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian

Dr. Arnab Gupta (Bioversity International) will sum up the experiences from various countries in the region about community seed banks, reviving the traditional genetics and strengthening the informal seed systems. Dr. Narutai Worasatit (Senior Expert, Thailand Department of Agriculture) will discuss the role of Thailand Department of Agriculture on climate change and developing adaptation strategies like use of stress tolerant varieties, optimizing production technologies and best practices for GHG emission reduction.                

 Dr. Arnab Gupta

  The final speaker for the morning session will be Ms. Naruatai Worasatit, who is Acting Senior Expert in Plant Production from the Department of Agriculture, who will speak on her department's role in Climate Change adaptation strategy.  

Naruatai Worasatit

    After lunch, in the afternoon session, which will convene at 2pm, a Round Table Discussion on ‘Climate Change & Seed Industry’ will take place and will be moderated by Prof. Himanshu Pathak (Director, National Rice Research Institute, India), representatives of five leading National Seed Associations, i.e. China National Seed Association (Dr. Zou Xingjian, Hybrid Rice Developer & Project Manager of Overseas Hybrid Rice Production); Japan Seed Trade Association (Mr. Madoka Koshibe, Vice Chairman International Committee); National Seed Association of India (Dr. P. Sateesh Kumar, Executive Director, Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd.); Philippine Seed Industry Association (Dr. Frisco Malabanan) and Thai Seed Trade Association (Dr. Witsanu Attavanich, Assistant Professor Economics, Kasetsart University) will discuss the impact of climate change on seed industry and how the industry copes with it.