Izabella Koziell delivered her first address as Director General of the World Vegetable Center at a handover ceremony at WorldVeg headquarters in Tainan, Taiwan, this week.
Speaking to government representatives, Board members, staff, partners and other guests, she paid tribute to outgoing Director General Marco Wopereis, thanked Taiwan for its longstanding support, and set out her priorities for building on WorldVeg’s strengths, accelerating implementation of its Global Strategy, and turning vegetable research into greater impact for health, livelihoods and resilience.
Watch the video or read the full transcript below.
Speech by Izabella Koziell
Director General, World Vegetable Center
Good morning!
Dr. J. J. Chen, Minister of Agriculture and Chair of the WorldVeg Board of Directors;
Mr. Roger Tseng, Director-General of the Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
Dr. Gordon Rogers, Vice-Chair of the WorldVeg Board of Directors;
Dr Vincent Lin, Chief Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Member of WorldVeg Board of Directors
Dr. Marco Wopereis, outgoing Director-General
Distinguished guests, colleagues, friends…
Thank you for the warm welcome that I have received since arriving in Taiwan six days ago. I feel very privileged to stand before you today as the new Director General of WorldVeg.
Let me begin by thanking Marco for the strong institution he hands over today, and for the substantial legacy on which I now have the responsibility to build. Marco, under your stewardship, WorldVeg now has a clear Global Strategy, new partnerships and funding streams, greater impact, and growing recognition of the importance of our work.
May I also express my sincere appreciation to the Government and people of Taiwan. Your sustained commitment has enabled WorldVeg to grow into a respected international organisation with global reach. I look forward to further deepening our collaboration, so that Taiwan’s agricultural research and innovation can contribute even more to global food systems. And, on a personal level, my family and I are very much looking forward to making Taiwan our home.
So, why does this role at WorldVeg excite me so much?
The evidence is crystal clear: vegetables sit at the intersection of some of the greatest challenges facing the world today – improving human health and nutrition; responding to climate and environmental change; and creating more secure and sustainable livelihoods.
And WorldVeg is uniquely positioned to respond. We have a global mandate, the world’s largest public vegetable germplasm collection, an extraordinary depth of knowledge and know-how within our community of excellent scientists, innovators and partners – and a trusted legacy and reputation.
Most importantly, we are about real solutions. To give you just one example: our work on mungbean.
Through research and collaboration with national partners, WorldVeg has helped transform what was once a marginal crop. This work has produced more than 150 improved varieties, now grown in 35 countries and covering approximately nine million hectares. Short-duration varieties fit between major crops, providing additional income for farmers, offering an affordable source of protein and improving soil health. From a tiny seed, millions benefit each year.
That, for me, captures the power of WorldVeg: excellent science translated into practical change in people’s lives.
We must do more of this!
And so, I come to this role with great respect for what has already been built – and with a real sense of urgency. For this is a moment of tremendous opportunity. Advances in science and digital technologies – areas in which Taiwan excels – are creating possibilities that would have been unimaginable only a decade ago. New funding opportunities are also emerging, and we must be ready to pursue them. I am optimistic about WorldVeg’s future!
And, our Strategy provides a clear direction. The task now is to accelerate its implementation – to take WorldVeg’s knowledge and solutions further and faster.
This means building further on what WorldVeg does well: continuing the investment in our genetic resources and research for impact; developing vegetables suited to changing climates and to the needs of farmers and consumers; supporting safer and more sustainable production; and connecting research with markets, policy and investment.
None of this will be possible without the experience, talent, commitment and creativity of WorldVeg staff and partners.
So I look forward to listening and learning from all of you—and to working together with ambition to build on WorldVeg’s strengths and seize the opportunities ahead.
For me, the future belongs to those who dream it, develop it and deliver it. That is how I intend to lead WorldVeg.
Marco, thank you again for everything you have given to WorldVeg. I am also deeply grateful to our Board, to my new colleagues and to all our partners. I am very proud and excited to begin this next chapter with you.
Thank you!
Also read: WorldVeg welcomes Izabella Koziell as Director General
Read the WorldVeg Global Strategy 2026-2033. (Download｜Flipbook)
