A big congratulations to Michael Keller, Secretary General of the International Seed Federation (ISF), on receiving Seed World Group’s 2025 Global Unity Award at this year’s World Seed Congress in Lisbon.
For many in the global seed industry, the recognition probably felt less like a surprise and more like a well-deserved thank you to someone who has spent years helping keep the international seed community connected.
Presented by Seed World Group, the award recognizes leadership, collaboration, and the ability to bring people together across borders and organizations: all key attributes Keller has become widely known for throughout his time with ISF.
While presenting the award, Aiden Brook, director of partner development at Seed World Group, pointed to the company’s mantra, “People Connecting People,” saying Keller has built a career doing exactly that. Brook described him as someone who connects not just people, but organizations, innovations, and ideas across the globe, joking that some might even call him “the glue that keeps it all together and keeps it going.”
Anyone who has spent time at international seed meetings over the past decade would probably recognize the sentiment.
Since becoming Secretary General of ISF in 2014, Keller has become one of the most familiar and respected voices in the global seed sector. Whether navigating conversations around trade, innovation, policy, intellectual property, sustainability, or food security, he has built a reputation as someone capable of bringing very different perspectives to the same table and keeping conversations moving forward.
Under Keller’s leadership, ISF has continued strengthening its role as the global voice of the seed sector, working with national seed associations and seed companies around the world. During a time marked by increasing geopolitical tensions, regulatory complexity, climate challenges, and rapid innovation in agriculture, Keller has helped ensure international collaboration within the seed sector remains strong.
He has also become a well-known figure beyond seed circles, representing the industry in broader global food system discussions and international policy forums. In recent years, Keller has served as Chair of the International Agri-Food Network and led the Private Sector Mechanism of the UN Committee on World Food Security: roles that further reflect the trust and respect he has earned internationally.
But despite the recognition, Keller’s response in Lisbon was characteristically humble.
“I take it, but I take it for ISF,” Keller said. “I think it’s the ISF team all together. We are doing this together, and all the associations together.”
He also thanked Seed World Group for its partnership and support over the years, while already looking ahead to next year’s Congress in Canada.
The moment drew warm applause from delegates gathered in Lisbon and felt like one of those genuinely personal moments that occasionally rise above the usual conference schedule — a chance for the global seed community to recognize someone who has quietly helped hold many parts of it together for years.
More than anything, the award reflected the importance of relationships in the seed sector — and recognized one of the people who has spent much of his career building and strengthening them around the world.
