Change: to make different in some particular; to make radically different; to give a different position, course, or direction to. Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary. LAST JUNE, BRITAIN voted to leave the European Union. In November, Donald Trump won the U.S. Presidency. In January, the United States with- drew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which could now be resurrected as Japan and Australia are in talks to possibly bring everyone back to the table, sans the U.S. This doesn’t include the half dozen other geopo- litical actions that made the headlines in 2016: Brazil and South Korea impeached their presidents, the fall of Eastern Aleppo and the fail of the military coup in Turkey. Couple those events with the changing communica- tion technologies, such as the immediacy and reach of Twitter, and how policymakers are influenced by public opinion as to how they make decisions. “Altogether, this represents a huge change in our business environment and creates a great deal of uncertainty,” says Jean-Christophe (JC) Gouache, International Seed Federation (ISF) president. Additionally, Gouache who is in the second of a two- year term as president notes two other significant trends — the increasing progress in science and increasing con- centration and consolidation within the seed industry. “What is the role of ISF in such a fast-changing world, and how do those changes impact the seed industry?” Gouache asks. “As the world transforms, so must we in our approach to be effective.” Gouache and ISF Secretary General Michael Keller agree the key priorities set forth by the ISF Strategic Objectives 2016-2020 plan are critical to federation members. These include the international movement of seed, innovation, intellectual property rights, biodiver- sity and engagement. In a global environment that seems to be changing at an unprecedented pace, leaders question if the traditional tactics used to meet the mission of the International Seed Federation are enough. Julie Deering A World of Change 64 / SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2017