Participation of CREATE in Agroecology conference, Malaysia on 24th & 25th April, 2024

The Malaysian Food Sovereignty Forum (FKMM) organized the Conference on Agroecology and Community Seed Systems from April 24 to 26. Among the notable speakers were the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food and representatives from several AEF grantee partners, including FKMM (Malaysia), Serikat Petani Indonesia (Indonesia), CREATE (India), Seed Savers Network (Kenya), and Nous Sommes la Solution (Ghana).

On behalf of CREATE, Prof. Dr. P. Duraisingam participated in the Agroecology conference on April 24 and 25, 2024, in Malaysia. More than 200 participants from 20 countries around the world attended the conference. During the event, seeds were exchanged among representatives from various countries, and Dr. Noraziyah Aziz Shamsudin, a senior lecturer in Plant Breeding and Genetics at the National University of Malaysia, Selangor, shared the following traditional paddy varieties with CREATE:

  1. Mahsuri
  2. Mayang
  3. Biris
  4. Pulut Putih
Mr. Nurfitri Amir Muhammed, from the Institute of Agribusiness School, welcomed the gathering before the start of the sessions.

 Mr. Anni Mithin then outlined the program for the first day, mentioning the positive response received from the various participants.

Ms. Angela Cordeiro from the Agroecology Fund in Brazil delivered a special address via online mode, highlighting how the Agroecology Fund’s activities have played a pivotal role in seed conservation, seed sovereignty, and creating market channels in the interest of farmers. Mr. Pierre Ferrand from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome also presented his special address online, discussing the role of FAO in Seed Conservation and Sustainable Food Systems.

Prof. Dr. P. Duraisingam participated on behalf of CREATE as a panelist in a session focused on how the Community Seed System (CoSS) promotes synergy among all stakeholders through responsible governance for a just, resilient, and sustainable food system. In his speech, he outlined CREATE’s strategies and activities aimed at promoting a sustainable food system. Key initiatives include the annual National-level Paddy Festival, establishing Rice Diversity Blocks and Seed Banks at the district level, and conducting numerous collaborative research programs with reputed academic and research institutions to ensure the authenticity of the nutritional information found in traditional rice varieties for consumers.

Scroll to Top