Des Moines, Iowa, USA
October 24, 2022
Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), based in Washington, D.C., and the Seed Science Center at Iowa State University, based in Ames, Iowa, have formalized their collaboration by signing a memorandum of understanding during the World Food Prize Foundation’s 2022 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue.
Sylvain Roy, chief executive officer and president of CNFA, and Dr. Manjit K. Misra, director of the Seed Science Center, signed the memorandum on October 18, 2022. As partners, CNFA and the Seed Science Center will combine strengths to address the growing food insecurity around the world.
“This agreement brings together CNFA and the Seed Science Center’s complementary strengths of agricultural market systems development and scientific research to improve the productivity and resilience of the world’s seed supply,” said Mr. Roy. “This comes at a much-needed time, with the impacts of conflicts, COVID-19 and natural disasters putting strain on local and global food systems. This partnership will innovate approaches that can address crises quickly and sustainably, and reduce the effects of disruptions to food production, food distribution and market systems.”
“Seed is the foundation of agriculture. Developing the capacity of regional, national and local seed systems to conduct research, generate technology, formulate science-based policy and raise awareness on the importance of quality seed is the mission of Iowa State’s Seed Science Center,” said Dr. Misra. “This partnership with CNFA brings synergy to our mission and provides solutions to the grand challenges of food and nutrition security across the globe.”
The agreement between CNFA and the Seed Science Center outlines how the two organizations will collaborate to improve seed availability, quality and testing. It also describes how they will expand the supply and distribution of seeds and other inputs, especially in places where food security is under threat.
For more information on CNFA and the Seed Science Center, please visit www.CNFA.org or https://www.seeds.iastate.edu/
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