Seeds of innovation and cooperation are being sown at the International Seed Federation (ISF). The best of the world’s global agricultural players have gathered in the picturesque city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where the hallowed halls of the Rotterdam Ahoy play host to the World Seed Congress 2024. MC Dominic, the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Krishi Jagran is attending the prestigious event in person.
In conversation with Dominic, Arthur Santosh Attavar, Vice President of ISF, who is the first Indian to have received this honor, said, “This year marks the 100-year celebration of ISF which started in 1924. We have about a hundred Indian delegates this time and it’s great exposure for all those attending. The theme of the year focuses on the resilience of the industry and how it has managed to be innovative as well as develop good value-added products for the farmers. It constantly strives to improve itself whether it is the movement of seeds, regulatory issues, etc.”
Continuing, he said, “The next couple of days will be equally exciting. We were thrilled to have the King of the Netherlands inaugurate the event this year. The next one will happen in Istanbul in which youth entrepreneurs and professionals must participate as delegates.”
When asked how he thinks the ISF supports the Indian seed industry, Attavar explained, “It is a global organization and India is a big part of it. The take home for Indians is the exposure they are getting to cutting-edge technologies and looking at more sustainable practices. It will help India a lot, given that its agrarian economy consists of 55 percent of the population.” He urged the youth to come forward and involve themselves in the agricultural domain.
Besides him, luminaries from across the globe are exploring the power of seeds in shaping a future teeming with food security, as encapsulated by the theme of #WorldSeed2024: Navigating into the Next Century. Amidst a symphony of trade exchanges, strategic meetings, captivating exhibitions, and engaging roundtable discussions, attendees are forging pathways toward a brighter agricultural future.
