b'1991: New Act of the UPOV Convention adopted.1970: 8 thedition of the FIS1992: Convention on Biological Rules and Usages adoptedDiversity publisheda pivotalCanadian and U.S.document on national strategies for associations declare theirthe conservation and sustainable use commitment to the Rules. of biological diversity.1973: Development of1993: First international seed health initiatives by FIS members.hybrid rice in China.1994: 12 thedition of the Rules and Usages adopted.1977: Merger of the FIS and ASSINSEL Secretariats1995: World Trade Organizations TRIPs (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual as plant breeders andProperty Rights) Agreement requiring the protection of plant varieties comes seed producers start tointo force.become a single entity.1995: Motions for the accreditation of seed companies for seed testing and certification adopted by FIS.1999: Accreditation of seed companies for field inspection in implementation of the OECD seed schemes. ISF joins forces with FAO, ISTA, OECD and UPOV at the World Seed Conference (at right), which 10 years later leads to the World Seed 1978: Joint FIS/ASSINSELProject developing into a public-Congress in Hamburg private Partnership to institutionalize formal seed institutions in a growing (pictured above). number of countries.1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s1961: First Act of the UPOV2000: Cartagena Protocol on Convention adopted. Biosafety adopted.1963: Genetic code2001: International Treaty on deciphered. Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGFRA)2010: Nagoya 1964: Forest and Tree1980: First polymorphicadopted. Protocol adopted in Seed Group establishedRFLP marker described. Nagoya, Japan.(which later became the2002: FIS and ASSINEL merge toI think its great Tree and Shrub Seed1983: First stablebecome the International Seed Group). transformations of plants byFederation (ISF). that we can genetic engineeringcelebrate as 1968: FDIS Congress heldpublished. 2003: Cartagena Protocol onseed people are in New York (below, aboveBiosafety comes into force. coming together right). 1987: First unsuccessfulfor more than attempt to merge FIS and2004: ITPGRFA comes into force. 100 years to ASSINSEL. 2005: Full accreditation of seeddo business, to companies for seed certificationcreate enabling under the OECD seed schemesenvironments and for issue of ISTA orangeand to work on certificate. policy issues. Marco van Leeuwen,ISF PresidentSEPTEMBER 2024 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA 23'