b'and food security needed to be the ultimate goal ofColes mentions there was one thing top-of-mind the seed sector.throughout the process: Communication. At that time, it was a crucial moment as we broad- With Marco and Marc driving the discussion, I ened our scope of acting towards food security andwas left free to participate in the meetings, he says. sustainable agriculture, Keller says. It is not aboutI wanted to add through each and every KSO an ele-only the seed. Were a critical starting point of foodment of communication.production, and I think this was a way for us to resetColes notes that in almost every KSO, theres a key and start again. word such as accelerate, promote, encourage or support. But, Keller says to reach your ultimate dream, thereAll these words are key words that speak to some-are many steps to take, especially in terms of clarifyingthing that will lead to a deliverable to an action, he what the steps are and what topics fall under your vision.says. After 25 years of fake news being imposed on the seed sector internationally, weve got an incredibly Building the Topics big mountain to climb to try and push back against. After establishing the new mission for ISF came theBecause of that, communication is absolutely fun-really difficult partgetting strategic with choices.damental to what we do in the future. We need to Its all about strategy and clarifying the road wepresent ourselves as we are; responsible people with have to journey together in an inclusive way, Kellerwarm hearts and thoughtful minds. At the forefront of says. On our previous strategic objectives, we didntour whole work is to ensure that every living thing on feel like we were going the right direction until halfwaythe planet can continue the way we have in the past, through, near 2018.and seed is at the center of that aspiration.The question became a deep look at the previous five years for ISF to see what they would have changed.It came to a point of asking: What does this reallyAFTER 25 YEARS OF FAKE NEWS BEING IMPOSED mean for us? How can we contribute? Whats the ulti-mate outcome? Coles says. And most importantly, itON THE SEED SECTOR INTERNATIONALLY, WEVE was the question of: What feedback can we get about our successes? GOT AN INCREDIBLY BIG MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB TO We thought the first objectives were good, but we need to be more structured, Keller says.TRY AND PUSH BACK AGAINST. After that, we decided to structure ourselves and Donald Coles, ISF presidentbuild taskforces dedicated to invest energy to pre-pare, he says.That means, leading up to the KSO announce- Keller agrees with Coles.ment at the Board of Directors meeting end 2020 , aWe knew we needed to be clear and concise, he dedicated group, including Keller and Coles, workedsays. We knew this is all about engagement.intensively to see how to better improve ISF and whatFor both Coles and Keller, that meant the new KSOs direction to take from here on out. Other participatingneeded to be absolutely crystal clear about what the and leadingmembers were ISF First Vice Presidentbenefits are of quality seed, and how ISF needs to be a and chair of the KSO committee Marco van Leeuwenpart of that discussion with the value chain. and Marc Cool, chair of the breeders committee.After communication comes innovation.The group started by engaging with the value chainInnovation and plant breeding are in our DNA,from the farmers to grain traders and beyondtoKeller says. We need to accelerate innovation, but at understand what all the stakeholders priorities were,the same time, we need to enable seed to remain a as well as their perceptions of how the seed sectorcontributor to solutions that farmers can access.fit into that. The second round included seeing howThat means not only focusing in on improving organizations such as FAO, OECD, CGIAR or founda- breeding, but also honing in on the regulations that can tions like the Bill and Melinda Foundation see the seedaffect innovative breeding. industry, and what they think the challenges for theThe third focus is on the movement of seed.future would be. Coles, in particular, thinks this KSO is imperative to From the beginning, we tried to be really inclusive,getting quality seed into the hands of farmers across Keller says. At the end, its somehow broader than justthe globe. seedits also the topics that encompass seed. Theres a lot to efficient movement, Coles says. but Based on all this surveying of members, nonmem- its not just getting seed in a bag and transporting it to bers, NGOs, international organizations and otherits destination. Our focus is to move healthy seedand stakeholders, ISF was able to frame up a few key areasto maintain phytosanitary standards in order to support to tackle.efficient production systems for our customers.26/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2021'