26 GERMINATION.CA JULY 2017 AN INITIATIVE THE global seed industry has been working toward for nearly a decade finally came to fruition April 6 when the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) adopted a new International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM). “The International Seed Federation greatly wel- comes the agreement as a significant step toward har- monized phytosanitary measures that will facilitate the international movement of seed,” says Michael Keller, International Seed Federation (ISF) secretary-general. “This is essential for the development of new plant varie- ties, and the availability of pest-free, high-quality seed, which is a major pre-condition of global food security.” The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) also applauds the passing of a seed-specific ISPM. “The seed industry is truly global,” says Andy LaVigne, ASTA presi- dent and CEO. “While seed companies strive to comply with vari- ous international phytosanitary requirements, it becomes burdensome and confusing when different countries have different requirements for the same pest. Dennis Johnson, ISF seed health manager, explains that a seed-specific ISPM is important because certain aspects of international seed movement differ from the movement of other plants and plant products. “If this is not taken into account by a National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) when performing a Pest Risk Analysis, the resulting risk assessment and final phytosanitary measures put in place might not be scien- tifically justified,” Johnson says. “Having a seed-specific ISPM provides guidance to NPPOs on a number of issues specific to seed to allow for science-based, harmonized measures to be established.” Moving Forward Now that the ISPM has been formally adopted, there will be an 18-month adoption period during which the IPPC’s 183-member countries are responsible for implementing the new standard. Johnson says it’s important for national seed associa- tions to engage and work closely with their NPPO during this time. To help, he says ISF has prepared materials and a training guide for national seed associations to use. The training guide provides an overview of the IPPC and ISPMs, as well as a detailed look at the new ISPM. In addition, the training guide describes the challenges faced by the seed industry along with an explanation of how the guidance in the new standard provides possible solutions for those situations. “For the ISPM to have a positive impact, it’s imperative that the implementation of the new standard be harmo- nized from country to country,” Johnson says. “If NPPOs adopt the guidance in a varying manner, then the seed industry may end up with new challenges and redundancies when moving seed internationally. We are coordinating outreach efforts and working with national seed associations for a harmonized approach.” The first outreach effort was May 25 as part of ISF’s 2017 World Seed Congress in Budapest, Hungary. The workshop, “The International Movement of Seed — You Can Make a Difference,” provided attendees with an introduction to the IPPC and the role of the ISPMs, as well as a description of the elements that comprise the new standard. For additional information, visit www.worldseed.org. Industry groups applaud IPPC for adopting a seed-specific International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures. While celebration is in order, the International Seed Federation sets its focus on what needs to happen for successful implementation. Julie Deering / SeedWorld.com PHYTOTRIUMPH