A Message From our Founder and CEO,

Exciting Grant Awarded, and Program Highlights

Opening Year Message from our Founder and CEO

As January comes to a close, the Global Seed Savers Team has been busy making plans for 2026, setting goals and building our workplans, and plotting out the impact we intend to see this year.

A new year brings new opportunities and excitement for our on-going movement building Filipino Farmer Seed Sovereignty. I am so proud of our dedicated team across the Philippines and in the US, that are all committed to ensuring this mission and advocacy deepen and truly take root across our partner communities as we kick off a new year. 

I have also been reflecting on the fact that this March will mark 20 years since I first left for the Philippines to join the Peace Corps. I truly never could have imagined all that would unfold over these last 20 years and that what started with one family farm and my host family's vision for a better future, would blossom and grow into the dynamic movement we are today. Our journey to this point is a testament to the fact that one small seed and an intention when grown in the right soil, and tended with the right care and community, can truly grow into something bigger than the sum of any individual part. 

I believe this is a critical lesson for us all to hold right now, as the world feels unrecognizable at times as we watch the news and see and feel the impacts of deeply misaligned actions of elected leaders and more across the globe. Despite these realities we have to continue to know and work towards the changes we individually and collectively want to see in the world. The Global Seed Savers movement is a testament to this all being possible and I am excited to see all that continues to take root in 2026 for our partner farmers and the communities we have the honor of working side by side with across the Philippines! 

Thank you for being part of this movement and may we all Seed Onward in 2026! 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead

Sherry Manning

Founder and CEO

Conservation, Food & Health Foundation Funding

We are thrilled to share that for the 5th year in a row, we are continuing our partnership with the Conservation, Food & Health Foundation, (managed through GMA Foundations), having received a $50,000 grant at the end of 2025, which will continue to propel our seed sovereignty agenda forward this year! 

The grant will support the project, “Capturing the Seed Situation and Enhancing Seed Sovereignty Across the Philippines.” The program work will include: growing our seed saving trials and research at our seed sanctuaries, documenting the local seed situation of the Philippines and advancing our monitoring and evaluation of seed saving communities seed production via our Seed Inventory and Tracking System (SITS), and also supporting the hosting of more Seed Schools, primarily in more rural areas all lead by our Farmer Trainer Advocates and graduates of our recent Seed School 3 Training of Trainers Program. 

We are grateful to continue to have the support of the Conservation, Food & Health Foundation and look forward to sharing updates from this exciting work throughout this year.

Partner Farmer Ate Butche Featured in Fastenaktion's Newsletter 

Traditional seed saving, building climate resiliency, and protecting heritage are all endeavors Ate Butche embarks on. As a generational farmer and seed saver, Ate Butche shares the challenges that come with this lifestyle like climate change, patent protections, and rediscovering forgotten crops. Her work was featured in Fastenaktion magazine in Switzerland, highlighting how she transformed her once ordinary garden into a farm-to-table community kitchen that nourishes people, culture, and community.

Read Fastenaktion's newsletter "Ancient millet for a better life" below!

Latest Stories from the Field

Mud House Earth Building Seed Storage Facility

Our mud house earth building seed storage facility is complete in Tublay, Benguet! Whether we call it earth building or natural building, the intention is the same: to build our Seed Bank grounded in culture and community, using materials that are already around us like clay, sand, and rice stalks. The mud house is designed to uphold our seed storage principles of CDDS (cool, dark, dry, safe, and secure). This structure reflects both wisdom and care for our seeds. Our team spent two days of shared learning, hard work, and joy; truly an experience to remember. Maraming salamat (thank you so much) to the community members for supporting us and for all your hard work!

New Year, Who Dis? Bogo, Cebu Seed Sanctuary Fresh Look!

From vibrant new colors to organizing seed containers, our team gave our BOGO Seed Sanctuary Farm a fresh new look! We reorganized our seed library, collected and stored seeds, documented data, and hung up our new Seed Sanctuary sign! 🌱 All of these updates are imperative to keeping an organized, safe, and secure seed library and Seed Sanctuary! If you're around, pop on by and take a tour of our Seed Sanctuary!

Partners Fastenaktion Visits Seed Sanctuary

Last week, our donor-partner institutions Fastenaktion Switzerland and Communities for Alternative Food Ecosystems Initiative (CAFEi) visited our Seed Sanctuary Farm in Bogo! We shared the glimpse of our seed system; how we process seeds coming from our Seed Saving Communities and seeds coming from outside our sanctuary, versus seeds within our sanctuaries. 

We also shared how we conduct seed documentation, which is an imperative process to seed security and seed sovereignty. 

Lastly, we were able to showcase the seeds from their respective members planted for a seed trial, like the one from Marbel, SAC San Carlos, and LiSu! A full circle of our seed system! 

Thank you for taking the time to visit and for the opportunity to showcase our seed saving and production work. We are honored to be in partnership with Fastenaktion Switzerland and CAFEi 💚 Your support strengthens our commitment to nurturing biodiversity, seed sovereignty, and resilient farming communities! 

Every $25 supplies organic seeds to farmers across the Philippines ensuring climate resiliency and protecting biodiversity.