Seed Security Means Food Security: Michael Keller, Secretary General, ISF

At the nexus of innovation and collaboration, the International Seed Federation (ISF) cultivates a fertile ground for agricultural advancement. Against the backdrop of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, luminaries from across the globe convene at the illustrious World Seed Congress 2024 within the esteemed confines of the Rotterdam Ahoy. Among the attendees, MC Dominic, the visionary Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Krishi Jagran, graced the event, adding depth to the dialogue and exchange of ideas.

He was in conversation with Michael Keller, Secretary General, ISF, recently. As part of it, Keller said, “It is exciting to celebrate the occasion with 2000 participants from nearly 80 countries to represent over 90 percent of the whole seed trade worldwide.”

Next, he shared that the seed trade involves all countries at present. He also remarked that it is important to engage with seeds since “seed security means food security.” Besides this, he discussed that ISF is composed of several National Seed Federations, representing thousands and thousands of companies and multinationals.

For those attending the ISF World Seed Congress 2024, he noted that they have a chance to explore what the future of seeds entails. “We have topics about gene editing as well as how we can move the seeds around the world,” he said.

Expressing his delight to witness the King of the Netherlands inaugurating the event, he said, “It was absolutely exciting.” We were inspired by his words. "Some years ago we had only 2 billion people to feed. Currently, we have about 7-8 billion people to feed. Private players in the seed sector have contributed to build up this level of food security,” he said. 

Besides, the Netherlands is surrounded by water, which shows the need for sustainability. “Climate change is a reality. Thus, we need to think about what will the future of agriculture be. Moreover, the King reminded us about the importance of working with nature, not against it.”

Following this, Keller also remarked that the ISF World Seed Congress 2024 is a platform for trading, and business, picking up the latest trends in innovation, and more. “For the 101^st event that is going to happen in Istanbul, we have lots of ideas for engagement and how we will navigate towards the future.”

Finally, sharing a message for the industry, he said, “Continue to think forward; we need sustainability and seed security.”