By Fawad Shah, President/CEO
How do you go about sharing knowledge and expertise where they are needed the most?
A wide range of activities and goals are included in the comprehensive process of capacity-building. It is, in essence, an effort to prepare for the future and provide technical and operational training along with policy development guidance toward a common goal. It usually involves public-private partnerships in support of strengthening institutions, facilitating the private sector, and adequately training professionals. For over a century, MCIA has played a vital role in ensuring genetic purity and identity of crop varieties through the seed certification system and delivering exemplary services.
In the recent past, MCIA has been leading a new initiative of capacity-building by working with domestic and international organizations. One such effort was undertaken during the Third Pakistan Seed Congress that was held April 29 –30, 2024. All major players were in attendance, including government officials, senior leadership from various academic institutions, industry representatives, exporters, and media.
The Seed Congress was followed by a three-day workshop. Participating in the workshop were Alan Gaul (Iowa State University) on Seed Conditioning, Filippo Guzzon (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) on Dry Chain Technology to preserve seed quality, Dr. Fiona Hay (International Seed Testing Association) on Seed Drying and Storage, and Dr. Waseem Abbas (University of Agriculture Faisalabad) on Controlled Atmosphere Technology for Stored Grain Pest Management. I presented on the topic Seed Sampling, Seed Germination and Viability. Around 30 participants from public and private sectors as well as students from the University of Agriculture Faisalabad were in attendance. In addition to adopting best practices in all areas following harvest, Pakistan’s seed sector, both public and private, needs to align with international standards and strive to become a member of international organizations.
My next stop in capacity-building was at the University of Sargodha, where an international seminar on Revitalizing Pakistan’s Seed System was held. I spoke about the holistic seed system, essentially from the time a variety is released and onward to condition, store, secure intellectual property protection, establish marketing and distribution, comply with truth-in-labeling regulations, certification, and rule-making. Participants from row crop and vegetable seed industries, officials from the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department of Pakistan, and faculty and students were in attendance. Institutions such as the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and the College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha are making strides to provide education about the fundamental role of seed as a component for resilient agriculture, to lessen seed imports by producing quality seed at home, and consequently ensure food security in Pakistan.
During an earlier trip to Pakistan, in 2022, I conducted a workshop followed by a roundtable discussion for staff from the Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department of Pakistan and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations office. This was an effort in capacity-building, to prepare Pakistan to become a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Seed Schemes. I am pleased to now learn that Pakistan recently applied to become an OECD Seed Schemes member. The process usually takes one to two years. In addition, the University of Agriculture Faisalabad is constructing an International Seed Testing Association lab. The lab will have germination, purity, genetic testing, germplasm storage, sample storage, and a training facility. This is a major step in the right direction for Pakistan’s seed industry. The lab is expected to be finished later this summer. MCIA is delivering on its efforts in building capacity and developing strong partnerships with international academic institutions and related organizations, identifying new opportunities for growth within the United States as well as in foreign countries.
So, why share knowledge and expertise? These exercises create and develop a framework for capacity building wherever it may be advantageous, ensuring market growth and food security wherever it may be desired or needed.