Seeds are the primary basis of the food and agriculture supply chain system

More than US 15.8 millions worth of seed for sowing purposes was traded in the region in 2020, constituting about 14 percent of the global seed trade according to data from the international seed federation (ISF). High quality seed production, smooth seed trade and the accessibility of quality seed in the region are crucial to sustaining the region s agriculture, food and nutrition security and economic prosperity. High quality seed refers to seeds with high germination, high genetic purity, free from diseases and most importantly containing good genetic that can help young plant cope with their challenges including pests, diseases, and abiotic stress because of climate change. Thus, high quality seeds start from good genetic resources, research and development of plant breeding for a newly developed variety. Then they are produced through efficient certification procedures and passing a high standard of seed quality testing (germination, vigour, seed health, physical purity and genetic purity). To ensure that food security is achieved in a sustainable way, predictable seed movement across borders is an important aspect of PR oviding quality seed to the farmers. This project aims to create an awareness of national strategy for creating an enabling policy for conserving of genetic resources, moving of high-quality seeds, and protecting of the new developed plant varieties. The target countries are countries under mekong US partnership program (cambodia, laos, thailand and vietnam) to keep a continuity of the programs that have been previously done under mekong US partnership for seed sector development. This project consists of three workshops that will be organized in 2024 for mekong U.S. Partnership countries. No subawards are anticipated.