Establishing and supporting community seed management clubs in Vietnam: A strategy proposal

Vietnam aims to build an inclusive, resilient, and diversity-based national seed system. In this system, a network of community seed management clubs (CSMCs) complements the National Genebank (which operates under the umbrella of the Plant Resources Center), through an integrated in-situ – ex-situ conservation approach. This strategy document outlines a coordinated framework to establish and support CSMCs in Vietnam. A community seed management club resembles a community seed bank, a concept commonly used in the international literature, but the adapted term better reflects the particularities of the Vietnamese context.
The development of the CSMC system should be grounded in a clear framework of roles and functions among participating stakeholders, particularly between the National Genebank and local communities. Such coordination is essential to ensure effective genetic resource conservation, knowledge sharing, and sustainable accessibility of seeds. Governance of CSMCs can best be aligned with existing social structures, such as cooperatives, farmers’ associations, and women’s unions. Sustainability of CSMCs can be enhanced by mobilizing financial resources and technical support from government organizations, which can serve as the foundation for establishing a community-based financial model like the seed revolving funds that have been successfully implemented in Nepal.
For synchronized implementation, a preliminary three-point implementation plan is proposed. First, PRC could take the lead to prepare the institutional framework for CSMCs within the national genetic resource management system. Second, pilot CSMCs could be implemented in Son La and Lao Cai provinces to strengthen existing in-situ conservation sites. Third, an open data platform and standardized information-sharing protocols between the National Genebank and CSMCs could be developed.