Our Vision for World Agriculture

The new millenium brings many challenges for humanity and added pressures for farmers around the globe to feed an increasing population. Water, land and genetic resources must be conserved while productivity is increased and social stability maintained.

To achieve these complex goals, farmers’ experience and scientific advances must be combined. Through plant breeding, crops can be made more tolerant to climatic stress or pest attacks and better suited for storage and processing.

A key component in sustainable agricultural systems is the use of new well-adapted crop varieties, for which seeds provide the vital link between plant breeding research and agriculture. Access to improved seed also contributes to improved food security at household, local and national levels. The recent instability in world grain prices has further raised the awareness of many governments about the need to review food security and there can be no doubt the food supply will remain a key element in global politics from now on.