Public-Private Partnership – Does It Work? The case of banana R&D in the Philippines

1. Public-Private Partnership – Does It Work?The case of banana R&D in the Philippines Dr. Agustin B. Molina Regional Coordinator – Asia PacificCommodities for LivelihoodsBioversity International* *With effect from 1 December 2006, IPGRI and INIBAP operate under the name "Bioversity International", Bioversity for short. This new name echoes our new strategy, which focuses on improving people’s lives through biodiversity research.

2. Banana is the most important food in terms of production value - after rice, wheat and maize About 100 million tons of bananas produced every year: • in 120 countries • 13% is exported • 87% is consumed where they are produced

3. In the Philippines, banana is:: • the most widely grown fruit crop, source of livelihoods of many small scale farmers • top foreign exchange earner among horticultural crops • most available fruit all year round

4. Bananas are grown all over the Philippines Luzon Visayas Mindanao

5. Banana plantation for export market Smallholder farm for local market

6. 160 140 120 100 80 million boxes (in 13kg box) 60 40 20 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Year ANNUAL PHILIPPINE BANANA EXPORTS

7. Value of Philippine exports for fresh bananas, chips and ketchup

8. Two banana diseases of major concern: • Fusarium wilt – a serious threat to the export industry • Banana Bunchy Top Virus– destroyed the • livelihood of many small-scale Lakatan growers

9. The Lakatan Industry • Lakatan is the most popular table banana in the Philippines • Huge local market • Traditionally produced by small-scale growers • Devastated by BBTV since 1990 • Loss of livelihoods of many small-scale growers in Luzon and the Visayas • Current supply produced by big companies

10. Banana Bunchy Top Virus • Cause severe stunting resulting to total loss of yield • Caused by virus transmitted by aphids and infected planting materials • No mechanical transmission • Infected plants serve as sources of inocula • Lakatan, Bungolan varieties are very susceptible

11. Story of a small-scale grower in Ilocos Sur … 1st year

12. 2nd year

13. Local markets now supplied by big companies from Mindanao • Lost livelihood of small scale growers in Luzon and Visayas • Lost source of foods by backyard growers

14. 4 years later…

15. Tissue culture technology revolutionized the banana industry Production system tool IPM tactic

16. TC Technology used by • Cavendish plantations: • Expansion plantings • Rehabilitation plantings • Annual/relay cropping • Put up their own laboratories: • millions of TC capacities

17. 1st crop 2nd crop The use of lean TC plants Annual cropping

18. The need to develop a sustainable delivery system of clean TC plants for small-scale growers Previous strategy: Assisted/funded tissue culture laboratories through universities and other government institutes Failed: no sustainable supply, expensive Government laboratories are not cost-effective Private labs make money because of efficiency and economies of scale

19. Need to develop profitable production system for TC plants • TC plants have cost • TC plants need appropriate production technique • Small-scale farmers need training to make TC banana production profitable • Need to develop a safe cost-effective and sustainable TC delivery system

20. TC technology, not readily adopted by small-scale growers • Expensive • Supply not sustainable • Need to develop • appropriate production • system for TC plants

21. Learning from other countries Central commercial TC laboratories

22. Screenhouse Foundation Stock Tissue cutting TC incubation room Newly planted farmer’s field Farmers’ cooperative Nursery Scheme of plant distribution in Taiwan Seedlings ready for field planting Farmer’s field planted with TC bananas

23. Partnerships for Rehabilitation of Philippine Lakatan Industry • Bioversity International • PCARRD/DA-BAR • State Universities/ Research Institutions UPLB, CAVSU, DMMSU, PAC, ISU, QSU, NVSU, ISPSC, MMMSU, BPI • Private companies Lapanday Fruits; Stanfilco (Dole) • NGOs/CBOs/LGUs Virlanie Foundation; Rotary Club of Los Baños, ICDAI LGUs Farmer organizations

24. Partnership – Why should it work? • There is a real economic problem to address • R & D opportunities are available to alleviate the problem • Stakeholders with an opportunity to collaborate • Stakeholders’ interests: • Public institutions/NGOs: mandate • Private institutions: company benefits (profits, risks, and social responsibility) • Farmers: economic, livelihood

25. Roles of partners • Bioversity International • Networking/Technical coordination • PCARRD/DA-BAR • National coordination/funding/monitoring and evaluation • State Universities/ Research Institutions • R&D, technical support and technology packaging and validation, and promotion • Private companies/ NGOs/LGUs/FO • Farm validation, promotion and upscaling

26. R & D activities by SCUs • Epidemiology of BBTV – source of inocula, transmission and spread • Role of disease free-planting materials – TC vs. suckers, virus indexing • Production systems – annual vs. perennial • Appropriate cultural management – fertilization, population density, pruning, etc • Varietal resistance

27. BBTV Management • Quarantine – prevent spread • Sanitation/Eradication • Use of disease-free planting materials • Resistant varieties

28. Specific objectives • to develop a sustainable delivery system of affordable, • clean planting materials for small scale farmers • to develop an appropriate and profitable production practices/system for small scale farmers using TC plants • and other clean seed systems

29. Private/farmers nurseries Lapanday TC Lab Rooted TC plant Box of TC plants for air transport Banana seedlings grown in nursery Hardened banana seedling Improved banana cultivars in farmer’s field Proposed plant distribution scheme

30. Training local entrepreneurs on nursery management in Luzon

31. The seedling delivery system allowed the establishment of nurseries in village levels wherever bananas are grown Village nurseries in Luzon

32. Banana Nurseries in Isabela Santiago City Gamu Alicia San Mateo

33. Commercial Banana Nurseries Ilocos Norte Laguna Cavite Ilocos Sur

34. Banana Nurseries in Quirino

35. Isabela Field trials were carried out to adapt the use of TC seedlings to rehabilitate the small-scale farms in Luzon - annual cropping - productivity improvement - BBTV management - profitability Quirino Cavite

36. Banana Commercialization in Isabela Gamu Echague San Mateo Cauayan

37. Isabela Field trials were carried out to adapt the use of TC seedlings to rehabilitate the small-scale farms in Luzon - annual cropping - productivity improvement - BBTV management - profitability Laguna Quirino Cavite

38. Banana Commercialization in Quirino

39. Virlanie Foundation, Inc. non-government organization A French non-government organization that offers shelter, food and education to over 300 former street children The foundation has 11 homes in Manila, and a farm for more than 15 boys in Batangas province Bioversity assisted Virlanie in the training of former street children in the basics of banana production and sustainable farming Bioversity helped enable the Virlanie farm to be more food secure by producing their own bananas; supply other Virlanie homes in Manila and generate income through the sale of excess produce

42. Technology support

43. Panama Disease Fusarium wilt destroyed Gros Michel plantations in Central America 50,000 hectares were destroyed in Honduras alone, mid 50s Gros Michel and many Musa cultivars in the western hemisphere were introduced from the east

44. Gros Michel-based trades converted to Cavendish in the late 1950s Cavendish Resistant to Foc Race 1

45. Ulua Valley, Honduras 1994

46. Our problem is solved!

47. The problem is over?....NOT QUITE! The appearance of a Race of Foc in Asia, Tropical Race 4 (TR4), that can attack Cavendish has renewed the nightmare brought about by the Foc epidemic during the Gros Michel era

48. Fusarium wilt on Cavendish, Taiwan (1976)

49. Cavendish plantation in Indonesia (1990)

50. Field epidemic of Fusarium wilt, South China (2001) China is the 3rd largest banana producing country, 90% is Cavendish