b'1991: New Act of the UPOV Convention adopted.1970: 8th edition of the FIS Rules1992: Convention on Biological and Usages adoptedCanadianDiversity publisheda pivotal and U.S. associations declaredocument on national strategies for their commitment to the Rules. the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.1973: Development of hybrid rice in China. 1993: First international seed health initiatives by FIS members.1977: Merger of the FIS and1994: 12th edition of the Rules and Usages adopted.ASSINSEL Secretariats as plant breeders and seed producers1995: World Trade Organizations TRIPs (Trade-Related Aspects of start to become a single entity. Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement requiring the protection of plant varieties comes into force.1995: Motions for the accreditation of seed companies for seed testing and certification adopted by FIS.1999: Accreditation of seed companies for field inspection in implementation of the OECD seed schemes. ISF joined forces with FAO, ISTA, OECD and UPOV at the World Seed Conference, which led 10 years later to the World Seed 1978: Joint FIS/ASSINSELProject developing into a public-Congress in Hamburg (seeprivate Partnership to institutionalise formal seed institutions in a growing above image). number of countries.1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s1961: First Act of the2000: Cartagena Protocol on UPOV ConventionBiosafety adopted.adopted.2001: International Treaty on 1963: Genetic codePlant Genetic Resources for deciphered. Food and Agriculture2010: Nagoya 1980: First polymorphic(ITPGFRA) adopted. Protocol adopted 1964: Forest and TreeRFLP marker described. in Nagoya, Japan.Seed Group established2002: FIS and ASSINEL merge (which later became the1983: First stableto become the InternationalI think its great Tree and Shrub Seedtransformations of plantsSeed Federation (ISF). that we can Group). by genetic engineeringcelebrate as seed published. 2003: Cartagena Protocol onpeople are coming 1968: FDIS Congress heldBiosafety comes into force. together for more in New York. 1987: First unsuccessfulthan 100 years to attempt to merge FIS and2004: ITPGRFA comes into ASSINSEL. force. do business, to create enabling 2005: Full accreditation ofenvironments and seed companies for seedto work on policy certification under the OECDissues.seed schemes and for issue of ISTA orange certificate.Marco van Leeuwen,ISF PresidentINTERNATIONAL EDITION 2024SEEDWORLD.COM /17'