62 / SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2019 Eduard Fitó serves as president of ISF. “We love our job and all the things about improved varieties and scientific facts, but most consumers don’t care about that,” he says. “They care about food security and climate change. We have to explain something that concerns them. It’s a meeting point — we care about food security and climate change as well, so let’s talk about that.” Engaging the Industry Besides communication, engagement is on the top of every- one’s mind at ISF. Fitó says that one of ISF’s strategic objectives is to engage with partners in the value chain: “The seed industry’s message is more powerful and convincing when we work hand in hand with our stakeholders. As an example, we started a new partnership in October with the World Farmers’ Organization, which will help us find new ways to collaborate with farmers. We are also coop- erating with the International Grain Trade Coalition to engage the entire value chain in the discussion around plant breeding innovation. “Our members have a deep knowledge of the industry, which makes ISF a real knowledge powerhouse in the seed sector,” Fitó says. “We have all these different people gathered in one space to deliberate common issues and to find solutions that benefit all the companies, wherever they are located around the globe. The power of ISF is to create an area for discussion at the interna- tional level and to equip our members to engage in an effective dialogue with their national authorities.” As such, ISF looks to draw more attention this year to the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “The SDGs were created in 2015,” says Michael Keller, sec- retary general of ISF. “They were made as a master plan for a better and more sustainable world for all.” “The power of ISF is to create an area for discussion at the international level and to equip our members to engage in an effective dialogue with their national authorities.” — Eduard Fitó