Mumbai, India — The Asian Seed Congress 2025 brought more than 1,000 delegates to the Jio World Convention Centre. ISF President Arthur Santosh Attavar, together with members of the ISF Secretariat, represented the International Seed Federation throughout a dynamic week of bilateral meetings, technical discussions, and member and stakeholder engagement.
Strengthening Collaboration with APSA
On 17 November, ISF met with APSA President Teck Wah Koh, Executive Director Francine Sayoc, and members of both Executive Committees to exchange updates on joint initiatives under the APSA-ISF Memorandum of Understanding. Discussions focused on shared priorities, capacity development, and strengthening regional coordination to support seed trade and innovation across the Asia-Pacific.
Promoting ISF World Seed Congress 2026
On the exhibition floor, Marie Tahmazian, ISF Members Engagement Manager, and Airah Cadiogan, ISF Communications Manager, promoted the ISF World Seed Congress 2026, to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, on 18-20 May. ISF hosted a booth where a football juggling competition was all the rage among delegates.
The grand prize – a free delegate registration for the 2026 Congress – was won by Jaehyun Joung of Jenong S&T (South Korea). Congratulations also to the runner-ups, Joris (Kuraray) and Federico (Condor Seeds)!
ISF Expertise Featured at Technical Sessions
At the Technical Session on “Moving Quality Seeds Across Borders,” Dr. Rose Souza Richards, ISF Phytosanitary Affairs Manager, presented on Global Policy Changes Impacting Seed Movement – An Overview and Recommendations for APAC. She emphasized that “no single actor can move seeds safely. It is a shared responsibility,” and urged policymakers and industry to:
- Align regulations with science
- Adopt risk-based approaches
- Invest in digital tools
- Strengthen NPPO–industry collaboration
- Integrate plant health into climate resilience
Later in the same session, Dr. Khaoula Belhaj-Fragnière, ISF Regulatory Affairs Manager, presented on Enabling Predictable Movement & Trade of Genome-Edited Crops Across Borders. She reiterated that “plant varieties developed through the latest breeding methods should not be differentially regulated if they are similar or indistinguishable from varieties that could have been produced through earlier breeding methods.” In conclusion, she highlighted that seed movement and trade are critical to allow Innovation to reach farmers and consumers.
ISF wishes to congratulate APSA and the National Organizing Committee, NSAI India, and FSII – Federation of Seed Industry of India, for delivering a successful congress that charted the course for the year ahead.#
