b'Phase TwoAfter the Second World War: Positioning inPhase Three: Scientific Development from theEmerging Institutions 1970s OnwardsThe importance of global institutions was realized at the veryThe sector became increasingly entwined with scientific start of FIS when the ISTA conference in Cambridge serveddevelopments in this period. Cell development and eventu-as an inaugural gathering. Many global institutions saw theally molecular biology entered the realm of plant breeding, light in this second period, and the sector needed to positionbuilding on tissue culture techniques that had been initiated itself accordingly. The most important was the establishment ofin the 1960s. Oil and pharmaceutical companies, followed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nationsagrochemical producers, saw the opportunities of biotechnol-ISFs impact to the global seed sector is immeasurably powerful.Niels Louwaars (FAO) in 1945 to showcase seeds as an important componentogy and started to take over significant numbers of family-of its objective to defeat hunger. FAO became very importantbased breeders and seed producers. Science and technology in (public) seed programs as part of the Green Revolution,have continued to shape the sector ever since. Marker-assisted which after several decades, led to private investments in manybreeding and now genome editing complement the art of countries. FAO established the International Plant Protectionplant breeding. Seed technology got a boost from chemical, Convention (IPPC) in 1951, which was important for thetechnical, and more recently biological innovations. Along with international movement of seed. The Seed Schemes for varietalthese developments, new policies emerged. New interpretations certification of seed quality (by the Organization for Europeanof patent law (1980 in the U.S.), new ideas about national rights Economic Cooperation in 1958later the Organization forover genetic resources (Convention on Biological Diversity Economic Co-operation and Development) standardized proce- 1993), rules on GMOs (Cartagena Protocol, 2000), and free dures that added to a solid basis for international seed trade.(World Trade Organization, 1994) and facilitated (Information The work of ASSINSEL resulted in the creation of a new inter- and Communication Technology) trade contributed to changes national organization, International Union for the Protection ofin the structure of the sector. Internationally operating compa-New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) to provide rights for breeders,nies were increasingly able to provide the FIS secretariat with which allows for much larger investments in the seed sector.knowledge and support, but at the same time this provided Through positioning the seed sector in these internationalquestions about how to properly represent the whole seed sector forums, FIS and ASSINSEL also contributed to the profession- in all its diversity. The role of national associations in ISF is still alization of the seed sector. essential.Phase Four: The New Millennium: Supporting Associations at the Global LevelFirst of all, the traders and breeders joined forces and formed ISF in 2002 after many years of intensified cooperation between FIS and ASSINSEL. Further, globalization of asso-ciation work was the key new development in this phase. The number of national associations increased, expanding ISFs membership, and regional associations emerged: the Asia-Pacific Seed Association (back in 1994 at the initiative of FAO); the European Seed Association, now Euroseeds (2000). In Africa, the African Seed Trade Association (2005). In Latin America, the Seed Association of the Americas (2005). In Central Asia, the Central Asian Seed Association (2009). All this led to a wider diversity in ISF membership, and an additional role responding to requests for support by the fledge-ling organizations. The geographical spread also contributed to the realization of the importance of communication both with the extended membership and towards the outside world. The Centennial ISF evolved in line withand influencedglobal develop-ments happening concurrently. ISF reinvented itself on several occasions; roles and structure changed to give space to the changing membership. Staff and congresses expanded. The roles of all four phases have been combined in the current ISF-organization: Trade Rules and Arbitration (Phase 1), position-Panel discussion at the virtual ISF congress in 2021.SEPTEMBER 2024 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA 25'