ISF: World Seed Congress peaks with position papers

As the sun set over Brisbane on Wednesday 6 June, the International Seed Federation (ISF) World Seed Congress reached its peak with the adoption of an unprecedented number of position papers by the General Assembly. At the General Assembly meeting representatives from 45 countries approved the adoption of eight position papers. The positions will provide ISF members with a clear line to take on each topic, strengthening consistency of messaging and approach across the seed sector so that we speak and act ‘as one’.

Illegal seed practices – a threat to farmer livelihoods, food security and sustainable agriculture

Illegal seed practices encompass counterfeit or fake seeds, fraudulent labelling, intellectual property or trademark infringements, regulatory offenses, and trade secret thefts. In certain countries, it is estimated that around 50% of crop seed sold to farmers is illegal. In response to this growing concern, ISF has made a significant commitment to combat illegal seed practices and will coordinate engagement with plant breeders, seed producers, processors, traders and distributors to strengthen advocacy with all relevant stakeholders, including government ministries, agencies, judicial systems and international organizations, to improve legal systems and enforcement conditions, capacity and capabilities.

Supporting seed choice for farmers

ISF and its members – representing thousands of small, medium, large, local, regional and international entities – are committed to the ISF Vision: “A world where the best quality seed is accessible to all, supporting sustainable agriculture and food security”. The accessibility of quality seed is vital to support the life and livelihood of each farmer. The seed industry strives to provide farmer-customers with diverse, well-adapted high-quality seed choices, as well as services and support to optimize productivity and yield for their local conditions. Furthermore ISF believes that farmers should have the opportunity to make informed choices about which seeds they plant to best suit their personal circumstances, whether protected by intellectual property rights or not. Enhancing a farmer’s ability to make an informed choice requires the availability of suitable seed options and knowledge of any limitation that may restrict the use of varieties chosen. Seed is the most important input in crop production, farmers must have the widest range of options available to them.

Consistent criteria for the scope of regulatory oversight

In many countries, the possible regulation of plant breeding innovations is under public consultation. The ISF position paper clearly articulates the benefits of plant breeding innovation for society, and makes the case for a regulatory framework that enables their use based on consistent criteria. If consistent regulatory frameworks are deployed across countries, these same plant breeding innovations can help facilitate more and better seed choice for farmers. ISF is coordinating efforts to strengthen conversations across the value chain in order to avoid sending mixed messages from players in the same circle, and to create a unified voice.

The international movement of treated seed

The free, international movement of treated seed is important to ensure that the best quality seed is accessible to farmers. Seed treated with Seed Treatment Products (STP) is a key tool for decreasing the environmental impact of agriculture and enabling the full expression of the seeds’ potential.

Confusion surrounding regulations on the movement, application and release of STP in the environment during sowing is affecting seed producers’ ability to provide farmers with a reliable supply of treated seed.
It is the view of ISF that any regulations, controls or conditions of use surrounding seed treatment must make the distinction between each of the below to facilitate the free movement of treated seed.

• The movement of the STP
• The application of the STP to seed in seed processing facilities
• The movement of treated seeds
• The release of the STP in the environment during the sowing of treated seed

Digital Sequence Information

Currently, access and benefit sharing of genetic resources is regulated at the international level by various treaties: the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Nagoya Protocol, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). These treaties are implemented at the national level by various laws. However, some countries want to regulate the access and benefit sharing of intangible Digital Sequence Information that is contained in genetic resources. In support of effective sharing of genetic resources to create tomorrow’s varieties, ISF’s position states that Digital Sequence Information should not be regulated at either the international or national level.

Going forward, these position papers will help the seed sector to engage strongly with the whole agriculture value chain and beyond with international organisations, policy makers and regulators. Watch this space. In the meantime, you can find all the position papers on the ISF website: http://www.worldseed.org/resources/papers/

 
 

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