Each of the subjects covered by the documentary film "Seeds! Diversity of Wonder" were discussed during the 2019 Everson Global Seed Symposium at Iowa State University. (Chris Lusvardi photos)

Ames, IA (October 18, 2019) - The 2019 Everson Global Seed Symposium was held Oct. 14-15 at Iowa State University (ISU), Ames.

For photos from the symposium, go to the Seed Today Facebook page.

The symposium was held in conjunction with the World Food Prize in Des Moines, IA. World Food Prize Laureate Simon Groot, founder of East-West Seed, spoke Monday during the 2019 Norman Borlaug Lecture at the Great Hall in ISU’s Memorial Union. This was the 18th time the lecture has been held. Borlaug spoke during the first one and regularly attended the event until his death in 2009.

The symposium featured speakers about each of the subjects covered by the award-winning six-part documentary film “Seeds! Diversity of Wonder.” The film, which can be viewed here, was commissioned by the ISU Seed Science Center and produced by Pierce Mill Media.

Walker Lambert

It takes viewers to locales in India and Africa as well as the ISU campus, the World Food Prize in Des Moines, local Iowa farms, and Colorado. It covers a range of seed-related topics, including the role seeds play in everyday life, how seed technology can lead to more nutritious food, and how the genetic material contained in seeds is stored in a global network of seed banks.

Film Producer Walker Lambert of Pierce Mill Media says the film helped open up his thinking about the possibility of seeds, which goes beyond being just an inert pod.

A Day Without Seeds

Thor Hanson

In opening the symposium, award-winning author and biologist Thor Hanson talked about what a day without seeds would be like. He says the stories of seeds are everywhere.

"I've encountered few vessels better for storytelling than seeds," Hanson adds.

Let Seed Be Thy Medicine

Howdy Bouis

Howdy Bouis, 2016 World Food Prize Laureate and founder of HarvestPlus, talked about the importance of biofortified crops.

He compares enhancing crops with Vitamin A to another common practice.

“It's like putting fluoride in the water system,” Bouis says.

The Seed Artist

Robert Lewellyn

Artist Robert Lewellyn spoke about the natural beauty of seeds. He explained how he collects things he sees such as seed and is fascinated to watch it change.

He is amazed by the "subtle things that seeds do."

The beauty of seeds is hiding in plain sight, Lewellyn says. He adds getting rid of labels helps.

The Seed Bank

From left, Seed Bank panelists Candy Gardner, Sara Straate, and Marie Haga.

Seed Bank panelists included Candy Gardner of the Plant Introduction Station in Ames; Sara Straate, seed historian with the Seed Savers Exchange; and Marie Haga, Global Crop Diversity Trust.

They discussed the importance of safeguarding the world's crop supply by protecting the genetic material of seeds. As shown in the film and the panelists discussed, a network of seed vaults exist around the globe to ensure the continuation of plant life.

The film features the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway; National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation (NLGRP), which was also featured in the Third Quarter 2019 issue of Seed Today; and the Plant Introduction Station in Ames.

The Seed Pioneers

Julie Borlaug


Sarada Krishan


Maaike Groot

Julie Borlaug, granddaughter of Norman Borlaug, promised him that she would continue promoting agriculture and help fighting hunger. Julie is now vice president of communications and public relations for the new seed company Inari.

Sarada Krishan spoke about her uncle, M.S. Swaminathan, who is an Indian geneticist and administrator, known for his role in India's Green Revolution, a program under which high-yield varieties of wheat and rice were planted.

Swaminathan has been called the "Father of Green Revolution in India" for his role in introducing and further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat in India. He is the founder of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. He received the first World Food Prize in 1987.

Maaike Groot, daughter of Simon Groot, says, "With all the attention my father is getting, we hope we are able to reach out to more farmers. The number we now help is nothing compared to the farmers who need help."

Simon Groot is the founder of vegetable seed breeding company East-West Seed based in the Netherlands and has been recognized for his efforts to reach out and provide training for growers.

The Seeds of Andhra Pradesh

Former World Bank Lead Agriculturist Jitendra Srivastava spoke about "The Seeds of Andhra Pradesh." He says 70% of growers around the world are not using quality seed.

"Access to quality seed for all is a key driver,” Srivastava says.

Srivastava points out there are challenges and opportunities in seed systems, citing India as an example.

Seed Innovations

From left, panelists included Aika Singh, Indian Agricultural Research Institute professor, New Dehli, India; Ido Verhagen; Jitendra Srivastava; and Jack Bobo.

Access To Seeds Index Executive Director Ido Verhagen says before the index was started, little information was available about smallholders in the seed industry.

He explains that people are hungry and that farmers want to help. In order to do that, Verhagen says farmers are looking for better seeds, so he hopes the information that is being gathered helps to improve access to seeds.

Verhagen adds seed companies can help improve efforts to grow crops by starting training programs for growers, such as what East-West Seed has done. Just selling seeds is not going to do the job, Verhagen says.

Futurity CEO Jack Bobo says food has never been safer, but people have never been more scared. That is part of the challenge facing the agriculture industry, he says, as consumers make choices about what they believe.

Dr. Manjit Misra

In closing the symposium, ISU Seed Science Center Director Dr. Manjit Misra said there is so much work to be done in fighting hunger. His advice is to not think of the limitations but focus on what can be done.

"Every little bit that we can do to fight hunger is going to have its effect,” Misra says.

The symposium was sponsored by a contribution from the family of Leroy Everson, former director of the Seed Laboratory at the Iowa State Seed Science Center.

Written by Chris Lusvardi, Seed Today editor