UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attends the UN food systems pre-summit via video link on July 26, 2021, setting the scene for an ambitious summit in September in New York (Photo credit: Giuseppe Carotenuto/FAO)

Rome, Italy (August 20, 2021) -The International Seed Federation, represented by its Secretary General Michael Keller, was among the private sector representatives who attended the UN Food Systems Pre-Summit in Rome on July 26-28, alongside government officials, multi-lateral organizations, farmers, youth, and environmental groups from more than 100 countries and regions.

"As I left the FAO headquarters after the closing of the pre-summit, I came away with a strong feeling that there are less boundaries now in our capacity to move forward," Keller says. "The UN Food Systems Summit is an innovative process by being inclusive and breaking silos. Perhaps our perspectives are different, but don't we all have food security and the SDGs as shared goals? Whether traditional knowledge or latest innovations, don't we need as much capacity and know-how as possible in order to progress? Let's be open and have trust in each other."

Earlier this year, seed companies and associations signed a Seed Sector Declaration to demonstrate their diverse contributions, commitments and asks towards sustainable food systems.

"Let’s keep the momentum and build a community of action," he says. "We, the seed sector, maintain our responsibility to contribute to achieving the SDGs by committing to Seed Resilience and engaging with partners in the value chain."

The UN Food Systems Summit will take place on Thursday, September 23, 2021. The event will be held during the UN General Assembly in New York and will take the form of a virtual event.

Seed Resilience:Our definition of Seed Resilience is the adaptability and capacity to contribute to food and nutrition security by making accessible sufficient, diverse, locally adapted, improved, high quality varieties to all farmers taking into account environmental, health and socio-economic aspects.

ISF elects Second Vice President

Arthur Santosh Attavar

Arthur Santosh Attavar was formally elected as ISF Second Vice President during the ISF General Assembly held on July 8, 2021.

Attavar is the Chairman & Managing Director of Indo-American Hybrid Seeds, India, Pvt Ltd, a family-owned seed company established in 1965 that pioneered the first hybrid vegetable seeds in India in 1973.

He is active in seed associations at both national, regional, and international levels.