b'A Changing WorldMeans a Changing AssociationAfter more than two years of reflection, the International Seed Federation made some changes.Alex MartinNOTHING CAN STAYstatic for very long. Take a look atThe new structure, Keller says, should give ISF a better foun-what we all work with: seeds. As soon as you put them in thedation to reach their new key strategic objectives by 2025.ground, they begin to change and growsprouting roots, aChange is always concerning and unsettling, says Donald Coles, stem, leaves and finally, the crop youve been waiting for. president of ISF. I give great credit to our members for appreciating The same thing is true of associations: growth and change areits importance and supporting us in its implementation.a necessary part of doing business, and the International Seed Federation (ISF) is no different. Structure Allows for Better MessagingAfter more than two years of reflectionand most of it whileWhen it comes to leadership during a pandemic, while it might being stuck in a virtual world due to COVID-19the associationhave been just as productive, Coles says the year was nothing has concluded important changes in its structure.less than frustrating.We are working as an association in a constantly evolv- Theres no replacement for personal interaction. Despite ing environment, says Michael Keller, secretary general of ISF.this frustration, I dont think ISF has ever achieved more positive When youre working in such an evolving environment, youchange or dealt with such challenging issues, Coles says. get an increased understanding of the role that seed has in ourThe three biggest issues Coles has seen over his presidency world. that he highlights is:Keller says now more than ever with the war in Ukraine, get- 1. Major changes to the structure and operation of ISFting the message out that seed is life is imperative.2. The UN Food Systems SummitOur job is to give our members the best support and give3. Surviving two financial years without an in-person World them the license to operate and freedom to operate, he says.Seed CongressWere not saying what weve done in the past is not goodbutParticularly, while he expected the structural changes to be we felt a need to set up a new structure that allows us to meetthe most difficult challenge, it was an effort that went rather new demands and drive our association in a more efficient way. smoothly.I expected much more concern from members regarding the structural change, but to my surprise, very few issues were raised with me, he says. Most were either addressed by a change or more detailed explanation.Keller says the biggest change when it comes to the new ISF structure is the broader participation of experts at different levels of the ISF workflow as well as the ability to showcase the diversity of members within the association.We needed the best brains within the seed sector to work together on the topics that are critical to our sector, and which are outlined in our key strategic objectives, Keller says. Within that workflow, we also needed a representative body where you could find the diversity of membersfrom traders, producers, breeders and seed sellers. The new board of directors of ISF reflects this diversity. Twenty-five new members were approved by the general assem-bly, and those 25 members come from around the world and represent both geographic diversity and crop diversity. This body has a vital role in the future work of ISF, Keller says. We speak in the name of one, unified seed sector. We 14/ SEEDWORLD.COMINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2022'