Manila CoP Programme

The Tanzania Alliance for Biodiversity (TABIO) proudly participated in the Second Global Community of Practice (CoP) meeting on Farmer-Managed Seed Systems (FMSS) held over two days in Manila, Philippines, bringing together civil society leaders, farmers’ organizations, researchers, and policy actors from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Organized by the Secretariat of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) in partnership with Oxfam Novib, the meeting fostered deep dialogue on creating an enabling policy environment for FMSS. Key outcomes included a shared CoP vision and strategy, practical recommendations on farmer variety registration, community seed bank integration, and policy alignment ahead of the Eleventh Governing Body (GB 11) session in November 2025 in Lima, Peru, as well as strengthened South–South and cross-regional collaboration to influence seed laws and intellectual property regimes. For Tanzania, the meeting underscored opportunities to revive key national legislation, enhance regional cooperation, and engage youth, ensuring the protection of farmers’ rights and the conservation of agrobiodiversity