Ten IFAJ member journalists were selected for a travel bursary to attend the World Seed Congress in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on May 27-29, sponsored by the International Seed Federation.
The World Seed Congress brought together nearly 2,000 delegates from around the world for presentations on panel discussions on a wide range of topics, from technology and trends in global markets to social responsibility and food security. The IFAJ journalists also took a tour of seed and horticulture sites.
Participants say ISF provided outstanding access to sources from around the world.
“As a journalist, I experienced being served both important agendas and the best sources on a silver platter, which gave me the opportunity to create many good and important stories,” said Frederik Thalbitzer of LandbrugsAvisen in Denmark. “Seeing the work of the big seed companies, for example Syngenta, with the development of new and better tomato varieties was a great experience, even though I was not allowed to eat tomatoes for 12 hours before the visit. The seed company East West told in a unique way how the company works with the development of poor farmers in the global south, among other things through the use of better seeds and thus helps to give people a better life.”
Chemtai Kirui of Kenya added that the Congress provided both international and local angles for her reporting.
“The World Seed Congress was an exceptional experience,” she said. “This opportunity allowed me to interview senior seed personalities from Kenya, whose perspectives I might not have easily accessed due to bureaucracy back home. Their insights enabled me to report more comprehensively to our farmers, showcasing the work being done to ensure high-quality seeds reach them. The opportunity provided by ISF was incredible, allowing me, a journalist from a developing country, to attend such a pivotal event and virtually bring our audiences with me, which might not have been feasible otherwise.”
IFAJ President Lena Johansson noted that these are precisely the reason IFAJ works hard to create partnerships that bring member journalists to events like the World Seed Congress.
“The International Seed Federation was extremely generous and supportive of the effort to open the World Seed Congress to IFAJ members in-person and through online access because they recognize how valuable it is for journalists to dig deep into these important themes and bring those stories home,” Johansson said.
ISF Secretary General Michael Keller pointed out that the 2024 Congress was also a celebration of ISF’s 100th anniversary—a century of great advances in seed and agriculture.
“We at ISF are pleased to collaborate with IFAJ to raise the voice of the global seed industry and promote our efforts to ensure the best quality seed is accessible to all, supporting food security and sustainable agriculture,” Keller said. “As we celebrate our centennial year, it is ever more crucial to reach more people and share stories that illustrate the importance of seed as the most crucial starting point of agriculture and our food systems.”
That message was not lost on Daniel Azevedo Duarte of Brazil.
“The opportunity to participate in the World Seed Congress has improved my perception of this sector,” he said. “It was a singular experience! I verified that technologies, legislation, private and public sectors, and farmers need to work together for us to achieve the UN´s Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, I could contact several world-class sources for my articles and enjoy networking with journalists from all over the globe. I want to say ‘muito obrigado’ to ISF staff for their hospitality and all the experience. It was amazing.”
The selected journalists were:
Busani Bafana, Zimbabwe (member of the South African guild)
Daniel Azevedo Duarte, Brasil
Goran Djacović, Serbia
MC Dominic, India
Melanie Epp, Belgium
Emma Gillbard, United Kingdom
John Greig, Canada
Megan Hughes, Australia
Chemtai Kirui, Kenya
Christian Mülhausen, Germany
Frederik Thalbitzer, Denmark
Videos of 2024 World Seed Congress presentations are now available online at https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalSeedFederation/streams.
