SSR programme focuses on reviving indigenous species to maintain diverse biodiversity, says Kitingan

KOTA KINABALU: The Seeds Spiritual Revival (SSR) programme, which was first launched in 2021, continues its focus on reviving indigenous species, says Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

He said while Sabah is home to approximately 15,000 plant species, they faced risks following decades of overreliance on forest resources for socio-economic development, which resulted in significant ecosystem changes.

“This in turn created loss of valuable biological assets, including endangered indigenous plants.

“We are also witnessing the emergence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which are increasingly replacing native plants.

“These indigenous plants have been crucial to human survival for generations, and their decline is cause for concern.

“To address this issue, the SSR programme is focused on reviving indigenous species,” he said during the programme launching this year on Monday (May 22), as part of the state Kaamatan festival celebration and in conjunction with the International Biodiversity Day 2023.

He said despite the movement restriction due to the Covid-19 pandemic when the annual programme kickstarted in 2021, the effort still managed to gather indigenous seeds, amassing a collection of 106 indigenous plant seeds since then, including 45 types of fruit, 42 herbs, and 19 local rice variants.

Kitingan said to complement this, additional research and documentation of indigenous plants and seeds are important and encouraged the creation of a comprehensive database for future reference.

“All seeds collected in their natural habitats must be reported to the Sabah Biodiversity Centre.

“Traditional uses of plants, such as medicinal herbs, must also be documented in order to preserve the knowledge for future generations.

“All intellectual property rights, including those relating to seeds and plants, are protected under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture so as to ensure that any exploitation of genetic resources is consistent with the International Convention on Biodiversity under the United Nations,” he said.

On a more general front, Kitingan said the SSR programme has demonstrated Sabah's dedication to maintaining its diverse biodiversity.

“It represents a new beginning in Sabah’s conservation efforts, recognising and protecting its status as a worldwide biodiversity hotspot.

“Thanks to the support of local communities and virtual representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the programme has received international recognition from the United Nations for its efforts to collect and propagate indigenous seeds,” he added.

Kitingan, who is also state Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister, added that the Agriculture Department under his ministry is expected to be the programme’s next custodian moving forward.