Nyon, Switzerland
May 6, 2021
A message from Michael Keller, ISF General Secretary
We have been through quite a journey last year, with a global health crisis that has affected all aspects of our personal and professional lives. While we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel as vaccinations are taking place in many countries, there remains a lot of uncertainty in many places of the world.
What we do know for sure is that the health and well-being of our members, delegates, sponsors, exhibitors, partners and staff has been – and will always be – our highest priority.
We have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in Spain. Last week, we conducted a site visit to Barcelona, together with our Spanish National Organizing Committee, congress organizer and congress venue management. Parallel discussions have also taken place with our sponsors and partners to assess the situation and to determine the best option for you and the global seed community.
In light of the continued uncertainty of the situation, we have made the decision to postpone the ISF World Seed Congress 2021 in Barcelona to next year, 2022.
We believe that resetting the scene for Barcelona next year would be a wise choice, as the city remains one of the most attractive business and tourism centres in Europe. Our Spanish NOC has been incredibly supportive, and we trust that our partnership will carry us through to next year. We are determined to provide you an onsite congress that serves as the quintessential global business and trading platform for the seed sector.
At the same time, we would like to thank our colleagues from South Africa for their exceptional openness and understanding in accepting to delay the hosting of the ISF World Seed Congress yet again. We are extremely grateful for their all-out support in making this transition possible.
This year, we will shift to a fully virtual congress setup, which will be accessible to everyone for free on 5-7 July 2021. You will receive further information on the program and registration to the virtual platform. Those who have already registered for Barcelona will be reimbursed, keeping only a small administrative fee of €50. Our core PCO, K.I.T. Group GmbH, will follow up with detailed information on refunding and hotel cancellation for the registered delegates.
Over the coming weeks, we will continue to update you on how you can take part in the continuing dialogue on critical topics like the UN Food Systems Summit, plant breeding innovation, seed movement, and others. We strive to bring you a worthwhile virtual experience and to stay connected despite physical limitations. Our mission continues; therefore, we must remain engaged!
Stay tuned and stay positive as we are keeping positive in ISF ! Seed is life.
Kind regards,
On behalf of the Asociación Nacional de Obtentores Vegetales (ANOVE) and Asociación de Empresas Productoras de Semillas Selectas (APROSE) Committee and the ISF Secretariat,
Michael Keller
ISF Secretary General
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