JULY 2017 GERMINATION.CA 31 They noted that inauthentic and poor-quality hybrid seeds can result in smaller harvests, which ultimately affect farmer’s profitability. “This is detrimental to the farmers, their families and our seed companies and their reputation,” Gouache says. “We need to have effective regulations in place to deal with the issue of illegal seeds.” Keller adds that it’s an issue ISF takes very seriously, outlining the action already underway. “We’ve formed a working group to determine the scope and reality of what is happening,” he says. “We need a clearer picture, and that’s why we launched our first global survey this year.” Initial results were presented at the ISF 2017 World Seed Congress. “We also need to understand what companies are doing to protect themselves against illegal seed practices — licenses, contracts, intellectual property, communica- tion training, security and enforcement.” Keller says in the worst cases, up to 40 per cent of a particular crop market may be comprised of illegal seed. Through the working group, which operates under the auspices of the Intellectual Property Committee, ISF aims to define illegal seed, quantify the threat of illegal seed practices and publish a statement of principles of best practice. “We have to raise the bar,” Keller says. “It’s important for us to increase awareness with governments that it’s a prob- lem. The scale of the problem is not the issue — it’s the fact that the problem exists at all. We also need to be more proactive in explaining the importance of certified seed.” Priority #2: Biodiversity Other points of uncertainty include war and climate change. The war in Syria jeopardized the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas’ (ICARDA) seed bank in Aleppo. ICARDA’s collection is especially valuable because it includes seeds from the Fertile Crescent, which spans parts of North Africa, the Middle East, the Caucasus and West Asia. Additionally, it houses many wild relatives of modern crops such as wheat, barley, lentils and grass pea. Now ICARDA’s seed bank in Aleppo is completely inaccessible, but fortunately, nearly all the seeds in ICARDA’s bank were duplicated and sent to other banks, including the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway — a site Keller and Gouache visited in February. “Instances such as this show how incredibly important it is to conserve plant genetic resources,” Gouache says. “Both in situ and ex situ conservation is important. Because the crops we rely on for food are grown in parts of the world, distant to the centers of their domestication, the sharing of genetic material across national borders for research and plant breeding is essential. “To ensure that these collections of plant genetic resources are preserved for future generations, we need the support of governments and the private seed sector around the world.” As such, in 2016, ISF led the way with a financial con- tribution that was split between the Crop Trust and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Keller says he expects the International Treaty’s gov- erning body to make a decision this fall regarding access- and benefit-sharing. “This decision needs to take into account the business environment,” he says. “If fees are unrealistic and the process is burdensome, then people won’t use it. It’s as simple as that. “If you think about it only in terms of money, then you’re thinking about it in the wrong way. We need to be really clear that the International Treaty is vital. It’s about genetic resources, diversity and climate change. It’s a key topic for the industry, and we are heavily engaged in dis- cussions around the International Treaty.” Priority #3: Engagement As scientists and plant breeders around the world work to improve productivity and create new varieties that can better withstand today’s stressors and those anticipated in the future, the tools and methods they have at their disposal are advancing. “Science is moving fast,” Gouache says. “CRISPR/Cas9 was one of the buzzwords in 2016. But the big question is ‘will plant breeders be able to use it?’” Both Keller and Gouache agree that plant breeding innovation is one of, if not the most, important issue ahead for ISF and the seed industry, and engagement and outreach are a huge part of the equation. Keller says this means engagement among national and regional seed associations, governments and non- governmental organizations, as well as outreach to the general public. “One of our biggest priorities at hand is communica- tion,” Keller says. “We’re investing more time and more energy in making sure that communication is at the top of our agenda. As communication is intrinsic to what we do, it is essential that we as an industry tune into the changes out there.” To support these efforts, communications manager Jennifer Clowes has collaborated with ISF members and partners to develop a set of communication tools to amplify and unify industry voices around the plant breed- ing innovation conversation. In parallel with this, ISF has revitalized its social media presence. Being proactive is something Keller says the entire industry needs to work on. “What we do is very dynamic. What we do contrib- utes to finding solutions to global challenges — climate change, health and nutrition, and food security. But we cannot do it alone. With ongoing engagement with part- ners and stakeholders to address these challenges, we are working toward a world where quality seed is accessible to all.”