Workshop on Building Capacity for Sustainable Seed Management and Conservation
by Brent Simon
The Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and the Alliance of Biodiversity International and CIAT, hosted a one-day workshop that concentrated on building a sustainable, high-quality seed management and conservation programme for the Caribbean with a strong emphasis on disaster preparedness and post-disaster recovery.
The event—part of a wider regional initiative—brought together technical officers, extension staff, and agricultural stakeholders as well as a female farmer who traveled from neibouring Monsterrat, to cover the core principles of seed production, seed conservation, and integrated pest management, all through the practical lens of helping farmers recover quickly following hurricanes, droughts and other climate shocks.
Facilitating the session was Mr. Junior Greene, CARDI’s Representative for Antigua, Barbuda and Montserrat. The principal lecturer was Ms. Omaira Avila Rostant, Biotechnologist at CARDI Belize, who led technical modules on seed production fundamentals, seed drying and processing, post-harvest handling, viability testing, and methods to protect varietal integrity. Ms. Rostant’s practical demonstrations emphasized hands-on techniques suitable for national and community seed systems, including simple, low-cost approaches that can be deployed rapidly after a disaster.
The workshop also featured an online presentation by Mr. Luis Guillermo Santos, Curator for bean production and seed conservation at the CIAT genebank. Mr. Santos outlined ex-situ conservation workflows—accessioning, long-term storage protocols, viability testing and digital record-keeping—and explained how coordinated links between local community seed banks and international genebanks accelerate recovery and preserve genetic diversity. He answered participant questions via live chat and a focused Q&A session.
In his remarks, Mr. Gregory Bailey, Director of Agriculture, underscored the program’s central premise: “Without access to viable, high-quality genetic material, all other inputs—fertilizer, irrigation and land preparation—are rendered ineffective.” Mr. Craig Thomas, IICA National Specialist, reinforced the operational focus of the initiative, outlining plans to improve seed storage and propagation facilities so farmers can rebound quickly, and noting an innovative component: the use of heavy-lifting drones to assist rapid response during the hurricane season.
CARDI — Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (regional agricultural research and technical support).
IICA — Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (regional cooperation and technical assistance organization for agriculture in the Americas).
CIAT — International Center for Tropical Agriculture (a CGIAR centre focused on tropical agriculture; operates genebank facilities for ex-situ conservation).
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But the minister himself flinging seed.