b'International Year of Plant Health /PartnershipPartnering for ProgressSustainable Development Goal No. 17 focuses on global partnership for a stronger food supply, which is a key part of the International Year of Plant Health. Melissa Shipman melissanshipman@gmail.comTHE GLOBAL FOODsystemWhen youre having these is highly complex.discussions, if you don\'t include It relies on multiple elementsthe farmers, the laboratories, the and actors: seed, soil, water, tech- promoters, the seed storage sys-nology, farmers, traders, retailers,tems or other groups, you may find regulators, consumers and manyeach of those groups goals aren\'t more. Seed is at the beginning, thecompletely aligned with the other primary input to all food produc- groups that need to use those tion. Healthy soils, meanwhile,resources down the line, Watne sustain all biological activities onsays. You get a much better end the planet. And of course, none ofresult, and you get it quicker and this would be possible without themore efficiently.farmers who grow the crops. At the same time, the policies in eachWorld Seed Partnership country determine how all of theseThe World Seed Partnership activities take place. With all these(WSP) is one such collaboration, moving parts, one might wonderwith the goal of providing food if the various pieces of this vastsecurity through sustainable pro-agricultural community are movingMichael Keller is a strong advocate for partnering withduction in the context of popula-in synchronicity, driving towardsother organizations to build a better food system. tion growth, urbanization and the same goals. climate change. Michael Keller, secretaryThe United Nations General Assembly declared 2020Created in 2017, this initiative general of the International Seedas the International Year of Plant Health and in doing so,is made up of The Organization Federation (ISF), believes this isthe International Plant Protection Convention helpedfor Economic Co-operation precisely the reason why the seedoutline seven of the UN Sustainable Development Goalsand Development (OECD), sector must engage. Seed is justto go along with the year, including No. 17: strengthenthe International Union for the the starting point, but to build athe means of implementation and revitalize the globalProtection of New Varieties of well-functioning food system, allpartnership for sustainable development.Plants (UPOV), the International the other perspectives have to beUltimately, the goals are to boost economic develop- Seed Testing Association (ISTA), taken into account because theyment, protect the environment, reduce poverty and endInternational Seed Federation are the key to answering many ofhunger, all by protecting and promoting plant health.(ISF), and the World Farmers the problems we face in feedingWe have to accept this is something we have toOrganization (WFO); five inter-the world.do together, Keller says. Thats the most importantnational organizations comingWe have great diversity ofthing. Nobody can achieve this alone. There is a wealthtogether to support the develop-views, but the goals are the sameof expertise around us and many groups representingment of the seed sector in coun-in many ways, Keller says. Indifferent areas of focus. We must actively engage." tries around the world.the end, we all have one goal inMark Watne, president of the North Dakota FarmersWhen youre really trying to common and that is sustainabilityUnion (NDFU) and representative of the Worldsolve an underpinning problem of itself. We have to produce moreFarmers Organization (WFO) for the World Seedquality seed, it takes a lot of people with less and in a sustainablePartnership (WSP), says efficiency is at the heart ofand folks with skin in the game to manner.collaboration.get to that end result, Watne says. 22/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2020'