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SEED TESTING INTERNATIONAL   www.seedtest.org
PRESIDENT’S REPORT 
President’s Report 
Ernest Allen
AS WE BEGAN THE NEW 
TRIENNIUM AT ISTA, 
our newly formed Executive 
Committee (ECOM) hit 
the ground running with a 
clear mandate: to execute 
the Strategic Plan adopted 
at the 2025 ISTA Ordinary 
General Meeting. I am pleased to report that we 
have made significant progress over the past 
several months. Using the six strategic goals as 
our compass, approved by the ISTA membership, 
the ECOM has taken decisive actions to move the 
ISTA vision forward.
I’ll begin with Goal 2, as we have concentrated 
our initial efforts on ‘strengthening 
underrepresented regions’ to grow our 
membership and enhance seed testing capacities 
worldwide. Goal 2 charges us to ‘contribute to 
and develop collaborations to increase seed 
sampling and testing capacities worldwide’, 
with a specific focus on the underrepresented 
areas of Latin America, Africa and Asia. The 
ECOM has embraced this directive and our 
initial achievements on these three continents 
demonstrate our commitment to global 
uniformity. 
“Goal 2 charges us to 
‘contribute to and develop 
collaborations to increase seed 
sampling and testing capacities 
worldwide’, with a specific 
focus on the underrepresented 
areas of Latin America, Africa 
and Asia.” 
ISTA President
Latin America
I am delighted to announce a huge step forward 
for the Americas. During a formal ceremony 
in Costa Rica, I signed a landmark cooperative 
agreement with the Inter-American Institute for 
Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), on behalf of 
ISTA. This strategic partnership will serve as a 
key pillar in strengthening seed quality testing 
laboratories and support certification systems 
across the hemisphere.
Through this agreement, ISTA and IICA will 
collaborate closely to expand the adoption of 
the International Rules for Seed Testing (ISTA 
Rules) in Latin America. Our partnership will 
promote ISTA methodologies for seed sampling 
and testing; strengthen regional laboratories 
by standardising seed quality tests; and 
provide capacity building through webinars 
and local workshops. As I noted at the signing, 
‘This document is a bridge between our two 
organisations. We know that, from a small seed, 
great things can grow. Today we are planting [the 
seeds] of this alliance with the full expectation 
that it will grow into a robust and enduring 
collaboration that bears fruit for the 34 Member 
States of the IICA.’
 
“Our goal is to move beyond 
dialogue and into concrete 
action to achieve ISTA’s 
vision of global seed testing 
uniformity.”
In addition to creating more reliable trade 
partners for ISTA member nations, this 
cooperative agreement will boost the 
competitiveness of the agricultural sector in 
the Americas by promoting the standardised, 
science-based seed quality analysis methods 
offered in the ISTA Rules. Our goal is to move 
beyond dialogue and into concrete action to 
achieve ISTA’s vision of global seed testing 
uniformity. 
Africa
Our strategic focus on Africa has also yielded 
impressive early results. Recognising the growing 
seed trade on the continent, the ECOM has 
successfully secured commitments from several 
of our strategic partners to support our mission 
there. The United Nations Food and Agriculture 
Organization (FAO), the Organisation for 
Economic Co-operation and Development 
(OECD), the International Seed Federation (ISF) 
and the United States Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) have all agreed to join us in our outreach 
campaign. Together, we will conduct a series of 
joint webinars, workshops and other capacity 
building activities throughout 2026 designed 
to strengthen seed supply systems, enhance 
capabilities and support the wider adoption of 
ISTA methods on the continent.
This collaborative approach prevents duplication 
of effort and ensures that the support provided 
to the African seed sector is comprehensive 
and aligned with international standards. 
Furthermore, the recent announcement that 
Rwanda will host the 2028 ISTA Congress is a 
testament to the continent’s growing importance 
and our shared commitment to its development. 
This decision alone will serve as a catalyst 
for interest and investment in seed quality 
infrastructure across the region.
Asia
To demonstrate our support for the fastest 
growing region of ISTA accredited laboratories, 
ISTA held its first in-person ECOM meeting of 
the triennium in Hyderabad, India. This was a 
deliberate and strategic choice. Being present 
in Asia provided a valuable opportunity to 
talk directly with key stakeholders there. The 
conversations gave us a better understanding 
of the dynamic growth and the emerging needs 
of the seed industry in the region. The visit also 

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