Post by International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV)

This week, UPOV Secretary-General Daren Tang visited the International Seed Federation (ISF) and welcomed new CIOPORA President Dean Rule to UPOV's offices in Geneva. At ISF, Mr. Tang met with Secretary-General Michael Keller and his leadership team to discuss strengthening cooperation across the seed sector, raising awareness of the UPOV system, and advancing capacity building for plant breeders and seed growers- conversations that reflect the importance of UPOV to the global seed community. At UPOV's offices, CIOPORA’s President Dean Rule who brings extensive experience in horticultural breeding and the role of PVP in connecting the stakeholders in the value chain, presented his perspectives on breeding, production and trade in a changing world. He explored how geography, climate, and innovation intersect to shape the future of plant variety protection. The visit also touched on CIOPORA's priorities under his leadership, including raising awareness of effective protection and enforcement, and how UPOV and CIOPORA can cooperate to promote the development of new plant varieties. Both meetings centered on a common thread: supporting plant variety protection for development and identifying concrete initiatives to move the needle together. Strong partnerships are essential for the impact of the UPOV PVP system, and these conversations are how we build them. #UPOV #Innovation #Agriculture #Horticulture #Breeders #Seeds #CIOPORA #ISF