Policy Forum

Dear Readers, dear Guests, I am delighted that the Federal Republic of Germany is hosting this Congress of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) which is to be held in the Gürzenich Festival Hall in Cologne from 16 to 22 June 2010.

Germany has a long tradition in seed testing. Trade in seed goes back a long time and required universally recognised test-ing methods. As early as 1869, the world‘s first seed-testing station was founded in Tharandt near Dresden. Soon, plant breeders and farmers became aware of the benefits of standardised testing methods – both nationally and internationally.

Today, the ISTA develops and adopts the international standards that are required for trouble-free trade in seed.

In the face of the continuing rise in the global population, ensuring both food security and energy supply will be two of the key challenges facing mankind in the future. In order to meet this challenge, the agricultural sector requires high-quality and healthy seeds of high-performance plant varieties throughout the world. This in turn necessitates rigorous quality assurance along the entire seed production chain.

Reliable seed tests will become even more important in the future, given that the global movement of goods, including seed, will continue to rise. Many trading countries and the respective business sectors therefore take a great interest in ISTA’s work.

I am delighted that the Policy Forum – "Harmonised seed testing and global seed trade" on 21 June 2010 will provide me with an opportunity to meet government representatives and experts from the international seed industry to discuss the importance of harmonising seed testing for the international seed trade in the 21st century.

On behalf of the German government I would like to cordially invite you to the Forum and to the reception that is being held directly afterwards.

Ilse Aigner, Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection