100 years! Congratulations to the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) for standing at the forefront of global seed and food security for the past century. For a full 10 decades, ISTA has been the driving force towards promoting international standardisation in seed sampling, testing and reporting. I’m delighted to be in Cambridge to celebrate the Centenary and report to the wider world of seed as ISTA charts its path forward into the next century.
2024 also marks the 100th anniversary of another critical global seed organization: the International Seed Federation (ISF). The work done by both ISTA and ISF matters greatly. The challenges facing the seed sector today are bigger than ever, from climate change to an ever-growing population to political unrest. To tackle what’s ahead, the seed sector needs thoughtful leadership, global perspective, a passion for innovation, and a deep appreciation of what’s come before. Thank you to all who invest so deeply into the organizations that shape and power this critical sector.
ISTA and ISF aren’t the only organizations celebrating major milestones. Over the past year at Seed World, we’ve extremely proud to have unveiled some truly huge and fundamental changes. Last October, we brought our multiple regional seed publications under our global brand. European Seed became Seed World Europe; Germination became Seed World Canada; our flagship Seed World became Seed World U.S., and we proudly rolled out the second edition of our newest publication, Seed World LATAM. This past February, we followed those changes by introducing a brand-new consolidated, globally reaching Seed World website. The change allows us to offer all of our local, regional and global content in a single, easy to navigate, wide-reaching site.
Our changes are about much more than just names changes and website building: Seed World is now a truly global presence, spanning continents and cultures. The unification reflects our commitment to a connected, comprehensive global seed sector. Our goal is all about connecting people to people. By telling the stories of the innovations, leadership, perspectives and PEOPLE who shape seed regulation, seed trading and seed innovation, we have a direct impact on connecting and empowering the sector that ultimately feeds the world. It’s a weighty responsibility that we’re honoured to carry.
To give you a taste of our global reach, this our special ISTA edition of Seed World magazine includes fascinating content from all of our Seed World regions. This is the content ISTA delegates will all receive. If you’d like to check it out yourself, it’s available in a ‘flipbook’ format online here: https://www.seedworld.com/us/magazine/
To those who have travelled to beautiful Cambridge for the ISTA Centenary Annual Meeting, I look so forward to talking with you about seed sector priorities, Annual Meeting highlights, and — yes — how truly spectacular Cambridge is in July. Let’s connect: please email me at mbaerg@seedworldgroup.com, text me at 001-250-498-7152, or catch me in the event hall – let’s make a plan to chat over a cup of English tea or a pint of English beer!
Finally, congratulations again to the seed testing experts, agencies and leaders who together represent ISTA! May I be among the first to welcome you to ISTA’s brand-new century. We look forward to showcasing your efforts, successes and impact long into the future.
Yours,
Madeleine Baerg
Director of Content, Seed World Group
