As we step into a new year, we’re excited to open a new chapter for our association: the ISF Key Strategic Objectives (KSOs) 2026–2030, our shared roadmap to advance innovation, enable global seed movement, and strengthen the seed sector’s contribution to food security and sustainable agriculture.
The KSOs bring together the priorities of our members and partners, allowing focused action to accelerate innovation in plant breeding and enable the safe and efficient movement of seed across borders, while strengthening socially and environmentally responsible practices and supporting science- and risk-based policies.
A project-based approach to deliver results
To deliver the KSOs more efficiently and to sharpen ISF’s external engagement, ISF has adopted a project-based approach. Overlapping and complementary goals across Coordination Groups and Advisory/Expert Groups have been combined into cross-group projects. The ISF Board of Directors (BoD) approved this way of working, along with 24 core projects and six BoD-led activities. This was also presented at the ISF World Seed Congress General Assembly in Istanbul on 21 May 2025.
What does this enable?
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Clearer ownership and faster delivery: Projects are driven by Coordination Groups, with support from AGs, EGs, and the ISF Secretariat
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Stronger coordination and outreach: The model is designed to improve how ISF engages with international organizations and stakeholders, backed by strategic communications and strengthened public affairs capacities and coordination.
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More measurable progress: a standardized project template supports consistent planning, reporting, and monitoring.
How will we track progress?
A key part of the shift is making progress easier to see and act on. Each project team will maintain and update a standardized planning template, with completed templates for all 24 projects due for the ISF midterm meetings 2025, and accessible via the ISF Members area.
Projects will be reviewed through an annual Board-level process focused on stewardship, status evaluation, high-level decisions, and resource mobilization—all supported by a traffic-light system to identify what’s on track, what needs attention, and what may need to stop or close.
Enabling Focus and Facilitating Impact
The ISF structure remains, including the CGs, AGs, and EGs. However, the work within and across these groups will be more dynamic and results-focused, allowing us to deliver the KSOs with greater clarity, coordination, and impact.
As the challenges faced by the global seed sector grow increasingly urgent, the KSOs 2026–2030 provide a shared direction to build our momentum towards building more resilient agri-food systems that support global food security.#
