Seed policy and programmes for asia and the pacific. (fao plant production and protection paper, n.

This publication presents the proceedings of a meeting organized and implemented by the Asia & Pacific Seed Association and the Department of Agricultural Extension of the Ministry of Agriculture in Bangkok, Thailand in close collaboration with the FAO Seed and Plant Genetic Resources Service. In line with the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action, the Meeting recognized that one of the major challenges facing most countries in Asia and the Pacific is the need to invest significant resources into strengthening their capacity to increase the availability of good quality seeds of a wider range of plant varieties. This will contribute to the maximization of both agrobiodiversity and productivity, in order to achieve national food security while reducing environmental degradation and the depletion of natural resources.