b'Seeds as the SolutionIowa Seed Center focuses on seeds to solve global hunger and nutrition deficits.Melissa Shipman melissanshipman@gmail.comIN 2016,10.7% of the worlds popula-tion suffered from chronic undernour-ishment, according to the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization. Although there have been improve-ments in these areas within the past few decades, there is still much work to be done to achieve the UNs goal of zero hunger. However, Iowa State Universitys (ISU) Seed Science Center has developed into a key player in the fight to elimi-nate hunger around the world, thanks to Manjit Misra, seed science endowed chair and professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.Eighty percent of the worlds farm-ers do not have access to quality seed, and that is something we take for granted here in the United States, Misra says. Without high quality seed, you dont produce as much food and plantsISUs Seed Science Center works to elimate hunger around the world, with the help of cannot respond well to stresses like flood,Manjit Misra and his team. drought or disease.Eliminating world nutrition concerns isextremely harmonious relationshippublic servants, artists, philosophers, a huge goal, but Misra believes if we canbetween the public and private sectorstudents, researchers, communicatorsimprove the percentage of farmers usingwith universities and the U.S. Departmenteveryones unique contribution is what high quality seed to 50%, we would seeof Agriculture developing new seed, andmakes the whole work and work well.tremendous progress. then handing it off to seed companies toMisra says the center has worked on produce, market and distribute that seed,seed policies in over 70 countries. The Bridging Global Gaps he says. And thats the kind of big picturecenters work focused on import and Cynthia Hicks, communications special- industry we are working to develop inexport regulations among other regula-ist at the Seed Science Center says Misramany countries. tory issues.has established and nurtured the knowl- Walker Lambert, managing producerUltimately, we want to get good seed edge framework and outreach networksfor Pierce Mill Media and director of theinto the hands of farmers, and that entire needed to work on a global scale. Seeds! documentary, says Misra doesprocess needs to be based on science, he One of the centers greatest successa good job of bringing those worldssays. It starts from the germplasm, to when stories is in Africa. These efforts includetogether.a seed is ultimately planted in the soil.helping to build a Seed Institute in Kenya,Although hes a scientist and leads aIn the United States, the center houses which supports the regions 34 seedscience center, he implicitly understandsthe largest public-sector seed laboratory companies for the past several years. Inthat for science to help solve agriculturalin the world, testing seeds from over 300 addition, Misra and others at the centerchallenges like feeding the growing bil- species for 350 different seedborne dis-have lobbied for better seed policies inlions as arable land shrinks every year,eases. The center tests the seed health of many other regions around the world. it requires people from all disciplines toall seed exported from the United States, In the United States, we have anbe engaged, Lambert says. Scientists,or approves findings of testing from other 112/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2019'