From May 27 to 29, the President of the World Farmers’ Organisation, Mr Arnold Puech d’Alissac, and the WFO Secretary General, Dr Andrea Porro, were in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to participate in the World Seed Congress 2024, organised by the International Seed Federation (ISF).
The Congress welcomed a diverse group of attendees, including farmers, input distributors, government officials, regulators, consultants, students, partner organisations, and other stakeholders interested in the seed sector.
During the event, the WFO President and the WFO Secretary General actively participated in several panel discussions to ensure that the perspectives, needs and expectations of farmers were prominently featured at the World Seed Congress.
On May 27, WFO SG Dr Andrea Porro addressed the session: “Seeding Success: Unveiling the Role and Impact of the World Seed Partnership.”
The session focused on the cruciality of the World Seed Partnership (WSP) which unites stakeholders across borders and disciplines in a shared mission to cultivate a sustainable future where all farmers have access to a broad spectrum of seed varieties which are timely available, affordable, and suitable to the local context.
Dr Porro emphasised the importance of farmers’ representation in international forums and explicitly remarked on the significance of participating in partnerships like the WSP.
He stated: “WFO stays true to its principle in the joint work at the World Seed Partnership, ensuring that the farmers’ voice is present in international debates, including the ones on seed security.” He noted that partnership has enhanced WFO’s understanding of the complexities of seed security and the importance of genetic resource access as a public good.
WFO SG concluded by reaffirming WFO’s commitment to representing farmers’ voices and advocating for a science-based, farmer-driven approach.
The day after, May 28, the WFO President, Mr Arnold Puech d’Alissac, brought the global farmers’ voice to the session titled “Innovative Public-Private Partnerships for Development – What Are the Bottlenecks and What Are the Opportunities?”
The panel focused on the development of the seed sector in the Global South, analysing the effectiveness of various global initiatives, identifying failures, and exploring the reasons behind these outcomes. It also explored the potential for further collective achievements.
Addressing the preconditions needed for successful partnerships in seed security, the WFO President highlighted the importance of fostering farmers’ organisations at national and global levels. This will give them a more impactful voice and collective advocacy capacity to interact effectively with governments, research institutions and the private sector.