On May 5, the International Seed Federation (ISF) announced that it would be postponing the 2021 World Seed Congress in Barcelona until 2022.
After closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Spain and conducting a site visit to Barcelona with its Spanish National Organizing Committee, congress organizer and venue management, ISF decided that there was still too much uncertainty of the situation.
“While we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel as vaccinations are taking place in many countries, there remains a lot of uncertainty in many places of the world,” ISF said in a letter to members. “What we do know for sure is that the health and well-being of our members, delegates, sponsors, exhibitors, partners and staff has been – and will always be – our highest priority.
“We believe that resetting the scene for Barcelona next year would be a wise choice, as the city remains one of the most attractive business and tourism centers in Europe,” ISF continues. “Our Spanish NOC has been incredibly supportive, and we trust that our partnership will carry us through to next year. We are determined to provide you an onsite congress that serves as the quintessential global business and trading platform for the seed sector.”
Unfortunately, with the postponement of the Barcelona Congress, that also means there will be another delay in the World Seed Congress in South Africa, which was slotted for 2022.
“At the same time, we would like to thank our colleagues from South Africa for their exceptional openness and understanding in accepting to delay the hosting of the ISF World Seed Congress yet again. We are extremely grateful for their all-out support in making this transition possible,” ISF said.
In the meantime, ISF will be shifting to a completely free virtual conference, to be held during the original World Seed Congress dates July 5-7. Further information will be released on the program and registration.
