Representatives of ten seed companies participated in the Access to Seeds Industry Round Table in Washington DC on the 23rd of October 2013. The goal of the Round Table was to provide a platform for the seed industry to learn more about the concept of the Access to Seeds Index and to provide input for its methodology. The conference was hosted by the Netherlands Embassy to the USA.
The aim of the conference was threefold: (1) to thoroughly inform the leading seed companies about the Index initiative, its mechanism and the proceedings, (2) to discuss the needs of smallholder farmers in gaining access to quality seeds and the role and responsibilities that leading seed companies see for themselves in solving these needs, and (3) to collect input from leading seed companies for the development of the Index methodology.
The top 20 seed companies in staple crops and for vegetable crops were invited to this Round Table conference, as well as the regional seed associations ISF, ESA, SAA, APSA and AFSTA. A total number of 14 participants from eight companies and two associations participated in the conference, as well as a number of observers from the Dutch Ministries and Embassy, the Access to Seeds Foundation, the Access to Medicine Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The companies that participated are, in alphabetical order: Bayer Cropscience AG, Dupont Pioneer, EastWest Seed, Enza Zaden, HZPC Holland B.V., KWS Saat AG, Monsanto Company and Syngenta. The associations that participated are ISF & SAA.
For the report of the Industry Round Table click here
