b'SEED SYSTEMS AS ENABLERS TO SEED CHOICEISF SPEAKS AT FAO GLOBAL CONFERENCE.BY: MARCEL BRUINSAT the FAO Global Conference on Green Development of Seed Industries (November 2021), the International Seed Federation (ISF) called for collaboration between the private and public sectors towards sustainable agriculture based on seed resilience and enabling seed choice for farmers.The conference was organized by the FAO to create a venue for focused dialogues on advanced technologies, genetic resources conservation, crop variety development, and diverse seed systems. It reflected many of the aspirations of the UN Food Systems Summit, a major yearlong undertaking by the UN in 2021. The ISF views the conference as a positive signal of FAOs openness to work with all sectors towards achieving the SDGs, many of which are deeply linked to food and agriculture.In his keynote address, ISF Secretary General Michael Keller started by saying the private seed sector sees itself as a partner to FAO and its motto Fiat Panislet there be bread, as seed is a crucial starting point for food security. Fiat Panis should be a unifying driver for the public and private sectors, farmers, civil society, indigenous people. In complementing each others actions, we can succeed together, he said. He explained that the seed sector in its diversity of overMichael Keller, ISF Secretary General.8,000 seed companiesfamily-owned, cooperatives, small, medium-size companies, or multinationals who are active inthrough plant breeding innovation is essential for meeting the breeding, producing, and trading hundreds of cropsall sharechallenges of agriculture and food production. We can look back the joint vision of a world where quality seed is accessible to all,and see that, over the past 50 years, it was the joint effort between to support sustainable agriculture and food security. public and private sectors that contributed and drove the yield I am here to make a call for a unified effort towards seedincreases up to 90 per cent in different crops, in order to increase resilience to ensure the adaptability and capacity to contributefood production to feed an increasing population, he added.to food and nutrition security by making accessible sufficient,ISF continued its call for cooperation and partnerships diverse, locally adapted, improved, high quality varieties to allin the areas of genetic resources conservation, plant breeding farmers taking into account environmental, health and socio-eco- innovation, and capacity building. Keller emphasized that the nomic aspects, he stated. The private seed sector also soughtseed sectors capacity to contribute depends on an enabling envi-support from the FAO in reshaping the dialogue on seed systemsronment where the international and national regulations are to one that recognizes the diversity of farmer needs and situations. aligned, clear, science-based, risk proportionate and predictable.Keller remarked that the focus should be on interrelationThe private seed sector representatives who also spoke between different seed systems. Empowering farmers meansduring the conference came from a diverse range of companies accepting that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The situation,and associations from Africa, Asia, North and South America needs, and preferences of farmers are extremely varied in termsto emphasize the importance of effective seed systems for suc-of size, profitability, and activities in different countries, regionscessful agricultural transformation, diversification and intensi-or even smaller geographic areas. There is no silver bullet thatfication and inclusive market oriented and thus farmer-focused will solve everything in one go. seed sector to enhance seed choice and secure availability of He explained that the private seed sector, aware of itsquality seed for farmers. responsibility as a provider of the first and most critical input inKeller called upon governments to join, implement and put sustainable agriculture production, has always seen the conser- in place the relevant systems and well-defined international vation and use of genetic resources as highly critical. To addressstandards, agreements and guidelines established by various the upcoming challenges, we need to ensure the conservationintergovernmental organizations like OECD, ISTA, IPPC, and of genetic resources ex-situ and in situ. The access, use, andothers on seed quality, varietal identity, certification and seed circulation of genetic resources is an essential driver to achievehealthas these have proven beneficial for the agriculture pro-the UN Sustainable Development Goals. duction of the countries who have joined these platforms, by According to Keller, for the private seed sector, innovationenabling farmers to have access to high quality seed and new is in their DNA and mentioned that continued genetic progressplant varieties. EUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEAN SEED I 35'