b'INTERNATIONAL SEED FEDERATION CELEBRATES CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARYISFs impact to the global seed sector is immeasurably powerful.Niels LouwaarsA CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY urges us to look EDITORS NOTE: Seed Worldat the future of ISF. Knowing where we come is incredibly grateful to Nielsfrom can certainly help. So, lets have a look at Louwaars for his leadershiphow ISF evolved from its double origins: FIS and his innumerableand ASSINSEL before we peer into the future. contributions to the globalISFs history can be split into four nearly equal seed sector and to ourphases with specific identities as it took on publications. Louwaars isadditional roles. a Dutch expert in policies surrounding seed. He hasPhase One(Self) Regulation and Platformworked extensively in theThe reason to get together as an industry and field of plant breeding andestablish FIS in 1924 was need for self-regula-seed systems, focusing ontion at the global level, especially for those firstA copy of a sales contract from 1924.issues related to intellectual25 years. Seed was increasingly traded interna-property rights, access totionally over larger distances, notably forages genetic resources and theand vegetable seeds, and there was rogue role of public and privateseed in the market. A major first initiative was sectors in seed developmentthe formulation of the International Trade and distribution. He hasRules, indeed established first for forage seeds been involved in variousin 1929. Rules require enforcement, which led international organizationsto an arbitration system one year later, follow-and initiatives, contributing toing developments in the League of Nations. the development of policiesThe International Seed Testing Association and frameworks that support(ISTA) defined the first international stand-sustainable agriculture andards for seed testing in 1931 contributing to food security. Currently, he isthe same goal.leading Plantum, the DutchA second association saw the light during seed association. this same period. Private sector plant breeders established ASSINSEL in 1938, an associa-The International Seedtion specifically aimed at providing breeders Federation (ISF) was formedwith the necessary returns on investment. The in 2002 following the mergerseed traders association FIS was initially not of International Associationconsidered an ally in this goal, as it would be of Plant Breeders for thethe seed producers and traders who would pay Protection of Plant Varietiesfor the licenses that ASSINSEL was aiming at. (ASSINSEL) and the FederationThe breeders required not self regulation like Internationale du Commercethe trade rules, but governments to grant intel-des Semences (FIS), bringinglectual property rights to them.together their respective areasBoth associations provided for a platform of expertise: plant breedingfor seedsmen to meet and discuss joint issues and seed trading.which quickly attracted growing numbers to the conferences.Image of a catalogue from 1890.24 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA SEPTEMBER 2024'