JULY 2018 GERMINATION.CA 63 “A WORLD WHERE quality seed is acces- sible to all.” That’s the vision of the International Seed Federation (ISF). Instrumental in leading the working group that was responsible for redefin- ing the federation’s mission and vision a few years ago, Jean-Christophe Gouache says that while the vision has not changed, the environment in which those in the seed industry work is constantly changing. At the time, Gouache was serving as first vice-president and ISF was working toward the development of its Strategic Objectives 2016-2020. Gouache just wrapped up his two- year presidency. “Since then, agriculture and farming systems have come under increased pressure from a multitude of points,” Gouache shares, pointing to society, resources, climate change and the workforce. “We have to be better at producing more with less.” But that concept is nothing new; those in the agricultural industry have long been aware of that mantra. It’s the culmination of pressure points and the urgency around it that’s new, and this has put the seed industry in the spotlight. “What is the No. 1 factor that can relieve part of those pressures?” Gouache asks. “It’s genetics. It’s plant breeding. The seed sector plays a sig- nificant role in delivering solutions to improve all types of farming systems.” The diversity of farming systems across the globe is immense, span- ning from smallholder farmers living on a few dollars a day with maybe one hectare to those with thousands Unlikely Partners Gouache explains that the secretariat and section and committee leaders have been working to move con- versations from seed-centric circles to key external stakeholders and beyond. Plant breeding innovation is an excellent example of this, he says, pointing to the development of posi- tion papers, presentations, and a number of communications documents to engage government leaders and policymakers. ISF Secretary-General Michael Keller notes they’ve developed a position paper, which was adopted at the 2018 World Seed Congress in June. “This means we’ve got another round of increasing awareness around plant breeding innovation, another round of communication with our stakeholders, and another round of exchanges with key govern- ments,” Keller says. Key governments include, but are not limited to, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Japan, South Africa and South Korea. “We have been strategically coor- dinating our outreach efforts. A list of frequently asked questions has been developed, along with a PowerPoint presentation for national specific- ity,” he says. “All of these tools are in English; however, to further enhance the uptake of these tools and increase understanding around plant breeding innovation, critical documents have been translated. “Our goals are the same: to give choice to farmers and bring best quality seeds to farmers.” The International Seed Federation’s outgoing president says the organization must work to identify areas of agreement and build from there. Julie Deering HOWDOWEMAKEQUALITYSEED ACCESSIBLETOALL? Jean-Christophe Gouache Michael Keller of acres and operating multimillion- dollar businesses, and everything in between. Regardless of size, Gouache says genetic progress is delivered to farmers through seeds. “It’s all about plant breeding innova- tion and the global movement of seeds,” he says, noting that very concept is the foundation for ISF’s vision and mission. “Everything we do at ISF is according to the strate- gic plan, which includes five prior- ity areas: innovation, movement of seed, intellectual property rights, biodiversity and engagement.”