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By: Nukanah Kollie/LAEJN Member
Istanbul, Turkey – Day 2 of the ISF World Seed Congress 2025 opened with a powerful plenary session focused on the intersection of agriculture, innovation, and climate resilience, with a clear eye toward COP30, the upcoming UN Climate Conference in Brazil.
Held in a more intimate setting to foster open dialogue, the session brought together global leaders from the seed and agriculture sectors to address a critical question: Why does climate resilience start with seeds?
Opening the discussion, ISF’s sustainability lead, Ben Revoir, highlighted the urgency and relevance of integrating climate resilience into the seed industry’s agenda. He noted that ISF established a dedicated Environmental and Social Responsibility Working Group three years ago to explore and consolidate the seed industry’s response to climate change. “We want to identify where we contribute, where we collaborate, and how we can bring effective stories and partnerships forward,” said Revoir.
Agriculture as the Solution, Not the Scapegoat
Lloyd Day, Deputy Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), emphasized the need to reframe the global narrative around agriculture. “Agriculture has been painted as a villain,” Day noted, “but it is, in fact, one of the only sectors that can both reduce emissions and sequester carbon.”
Day shared how IICA has championed agriculture at recent COPs, establishing a pavilion that offers a safe space for agricultural voices and unites ministers and stakeholders from across the Americas. Looking ahead to COP30, he announced IICA’s collaboration with Embrapa on an “Agri-Zone” in Belém, Brazil—a platform to highlight agriculture’s pivotal role in climate solutions.
Changing the Narrative: Telling Agriculture’s True Story
Tamara Muruetagoiena, Vice President of Sustainability at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), echoed similar concerns, noting that agriculture, especially fruit and vegetable production, has been unfairly portrayed as environmentally damaging. “We’re part of the solution,” she asserted. “More fruit and vegetable consumption improves both human and planetary health.”
Muruetagoiena emphasized the need for better storytelling.“People are far removed from agriculture,” she said. “Our job is not just to produce food but to communicate our role in sustainability effectively.”
Seeds as Agents of Empowerment
Cristiane Lourenço, Director, Global Regenerative Agriculture at Bayer, brought the conversation to life with a compelling story from Kenya. She described how a drought-resistant tomato variety, Ansel, empowered a local woman named Spirit to move from food insecurity to running a farm with 40 employees. “Seed technology isn’t just about crops—it’s about community transformation,” Lourenço said. She emphasized Bayer’s three main priorities ahead of COP30:
- Centering farmers in all climate discussions
- Building partnerships for regenerative agriculture and soil health
- Supporting science-based policies to enable innovation and technology adoption
A Farmer’s Perspective: Grounding the Global in the Local
The panel was joined by Raphael Rido, a Brazilian farmer and youth ambassador for ENGAGEnet, who offered a perspective from the next generation. Rido stressed that while younger generations are environmentally conscious, there’s often a gap between public perception and agricultural realities. “When people think of sustainability, they picture green fields—not piles of manure or no-till farming,” he said. “There’s a lot we can do to bridge that disconnect.”
He also highlighted the Brazilian Forest Code, which mandates preservation of up to 80% of forest land in the Amazon biome, countering common misconceptions about deforestation.
The discussion closed with further insights into industry priorities. Both IFPA and Bayer emphasized regenerative agriculture as a transformative framework—one that requires investment, training, and supportive policies.
Lourenço shared findings from a Harvard study showing that 30% of regenerative agriculture implementation costs stem from a lack of knowledge, underscoring the need for technical support. Encouragingly, data from McKinsey shows that farmers practicing regenerative methods in the U.S. have maintained up to 95% of their yield during extreme climate events.
The session made one message abundantly clear: climate resilience starts with seeds, but it’s rooted in collaboration, communication, and courage. From policy advocacy to local empowerment, the seed industry has a critical role to play in transforming agriculture into a cornerstone of climate action.
As COP30 approaches, the ISF and its partners are mobilizing not only innovation but also a shared voice—one that aims to be heard loud and clear on the global stage in Brazil.
