64 / SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2019 There are 17 SDGs in total that the UN has adopted and the seed industry contributes to a majority of them, such as: no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life on land; and partnerships for the goals. “The SDGs have always been an important topic,” Keller says, “but we need to make them more well-known within the seed sector and within the international organizations and beyond on the activities the seed industry is already pursuing. These goals are inseparable from the seed sector, which strives for a more sustainable future.” By actively aligning with the SDGs, ISF engages in different partnerships to increase its impact and educate the world on how the seed industry contributes to global sustainability. “We need to explain what we’re doing and why it aligns with SDGs,” Keller says. “The UN is looking for participants. We have nearly 8,000 members, from family businesses to multinational companies, and we’re all looking to make locally adapted quality seed accessible to all farmers. “We need to create an awareness, and we cannot do it alone. We must do it in partnership,” says Keller. Calling for Change Fitó has two things that he’s looking to address this year: move- ment of seeds and innovation (including genetic resources and IP), which he says are the pillars to his presidency at ISF. “We need to change the way we do business,” Fitó says. “We need to explore and talk about how the seed industry needs to change.” In particular, Fitó says that access and use of genetic resources and illegal seed practices are two large impacts the seed industry needs to focus on for change. “Negotiations are soon coming to a close regarding the access- and benefit-sharing of genetic resources under the International Treaty,” Fitó explains. “Genetic resources are the building blocks of developing new varieties, and as such they’re the foundation of the seed industry’s future.” Fitó says that genetic resources are critical to sustaining biodiversity, so ISF looks to ensure that everyone has access to good genetic materials. “In the end it’s about providing seed choice to farmers. We can realize this if we have access to genetic resources that allow us to accelerate innovation, and if our members can operate in an environment with consistent regulation,” says Fitó. After that, Fitó says ISF wants to make sure that IP is enforced to protect these varieties when marketed. “ISF continuously advocates for any IP system to find the right balance between protection bringing return on investment, and access that is necessary to keep research going.” Fitó says. “UPOV Convention meets this balance, and ISF is actively pro- moting its adoption by countries that would benefit from access to improved varieties. “Ensuring the implementation of breeders’ rights is one aspect that our new working group Illegal Seed Practices looks at. However, illegal practices covers a broad range of practices, from false variety names on seed bags to minimum quality seed standards not being met. These practices mislead farmers, our first partners, putting at stake their crops and often their liveli- hood. We cannot tolerate this, and we engage all our members to work accordingly to the position paper adopted last year.” Fitó believes one way to begin enacting these changes is at this year’s World Seed Congress. “We’re coming to the end of the objectives that ISF set in 2016,” Fitó says. “I want to create a fruitful discussion about the future of our industry, and how we want to progress and change the industry in the future. “We want to make business different. We want to see how we’ll interact with our customers, how we’ll protect our IP, and how we’ll be regulated. We want to continue preserving our biodiversity,” Fitó says. “We need to start thinking about how to build a positive image and a future of the seed industry that all of us can be proud of, and I’d really like Nice to be the starting point of this journey.” SW “In the end, it’s about providing seed choice to farmers. We can realize this if we have access to genetic resources that allow us to accelerate innovation, and if our members can operate in an environment with consistent regulation.” — Edaurd Fitó