The World Seed Partnership announced the launch of its website (www.worldseedpartnership.org) at the ISF World Seed Congress 2017, which took place in Budapest, Hungary, from May 22 to 25, 2017.
The World Seed Partnership (WSP) is an initiative taken by four international organizations to support the development of the seed sector in countries around the world:
- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)
- International Seed Testing Association (ISTA)
- International Seed Federation (ISF)
Making sure that farmers have access to high quality seed and suitable new plant varieties is key to ensuring food security and economic development, including in developing countries. To do this, a country needs to have in place a framework that encourages the development of new varieties and the production of and delivery of high quality seed of suitable varieties to farmers.
Bringing together the knowledge and expertise of its four partners, the WSP aims to provide guidance on the development of an appropriate and effective seed regulatory framework built on the following elements:
- Establishment and implementation of an effective system of plant variety protection (UPOV)
- Enhanced seed quality assurance for better on-field performance through improved seed sampling, seed testing and storage capabilities (ISTA)
- Development of a reliable and internationally acceptable seed varietal certification system for seed movement nationally and internationally (OECD)
- Facilitating growth of the local seed industry to ensure farmers’ access to improved varieties and seeds (ISF)
Source: World Seed Partnership
