ICARDA is unique among the CGIAR Centers in having a Unit dedicated to seed activities. This was established in 1985 as a project financed jointly by the Governments of Germany and The Netherlands. From the outset, the Unit has had two main functions. One is to assist the development of national seed programs in the region, through training and technical advice. The other is to support the breeding activities based at Headquarters by providing specialist services relating to seeds such as variety description and maintenance, breeder/basic seed production and quality control. Fig 1