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News - 06-04-2021

Global seed sector commits to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

Seed companies and associations representing different regions in the world recently came together to sign a joint Declaration. They expressed their commitment to actively support achievement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to proactively demonstrate their extensive and diverse contributions towards sustainable food systems. The sector also calls for more public private cooperation to achieve the goals. As a vegetable breeding company, Rijk Zwaan acknowledges its role as foundational contributor to the world’s food supply and we are committed to contribute to the SDGs.

The seed sector acknowledges the enormous challenge for agriculture to produce sufficient, safe and nutritious food for a global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, amid rising pressure from climate change and natural resource scarcity.

Seed as the starting point

Through the Declaration, the seed sector players outline a common set of principles for global action supporting sustainable agriculture and horticulture. Marco van Leeuwen, Managing Director of Rijk Zwaan and vice president of the International Seed Federation (ISF) said: “There is an urgency to have a better availability of affordable, safe and nutritious food, for all people worldwide. We believe that transforming the world’s food systems requires the efforts of all actors in the value chain. As a seed sector we are at the beginning of the food chain, and with this Declaration we express our readiness and commitment to join in the dialogues to actively support the achievement of the SDGs.”

International Seed Federation to join the UN Food Systems Summit

The “Seed Sector Declaration”, signed by seed companies of all sizes and geographic representation and by seed associations representing hundreds of companies per country, was launched as a part of the sector’s engagement with the UN Food Systems Summit, scheduled for September 2021 in New York. Read the full declaration on the website of the International Seed Federation.