Legal

Legal Disclaimer – Terms and Conditions – Privacy Policy

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Terms and Conditions

All information contained on, distributed through, or linked, downloaded or accessed from any of the services contained on this web-site is for information purposes only. Although the information contained on this Site has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, neither ISHS nor any of its officers, directors or members make any representations with respect thereto, and all information is provided “as is” without any warranty of any kind. ISHS disclaims all express, implied and statutory warranties of any kind to any party including warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Because of the possibility of human and mechanical error as well as other factors, ISHS shall under no circumstances be liable for any errors or omissions.
You may Use materials displayed on the Site for non-commercial, personal Use for the purposes of research, teaching or private study only provided you keep intact all copyright notices and other proprietary notices. Except where otherwise stated, ISHS is the copyright holder for all Content, and these terms and conditions in no way imply any transfer of that copyright to the User. Users may not modify or adapt in any way any of the Content protected by these copyrights. Copyright notices must not be modified or removed from any Content obtained under the terms of this licence. You are prohibited to modify, distribute, perform, transmit or publicly display the materials displayed on the Site.

Nothing shall be construed to license any copyright, patent, trademark or other intellectual property rights existing in the Site. ISHS makes no warranties or representations as to accuracy of the materials displayed on the Site. Systematic downloading and/or archiving, including the copying of entire volume numbers is prohibited. Individual articles or abstracts may not be used for the purposes of monetary reward by means of sale, resale, loan, transfer, hire or other form of exploitation of the Content, and may not be systematically supplied or distributed onward from the site or premises of the User. Usernames and passwords for the purpose of gaining access to the ISHS online product must not passed onto any other individuals in an attempt to by-pass the registration or purchasing procedures for this product. Any such breach of this rule will result in access being terminated for the User concerned. Articles and other information obtained as a restult of access to the ISHS Websites and/or other online archives managed by ISHS are not to be systematically downloaded, re-published in any media, print or electronic form. Articles may not be downloaded in aggregate quantities or centrally stored for later retrieval.

YOUR USE OF AND BROWSING IN THE SITE AND ALL RESULTS DERIVED FROM THE USE AND BROWSING ARE AT YOUR RISK. NEITHER ISHS NOR ANY OTHER PARTY INVOLVED IN CREATING, PRODUCING OR DELIVERING THE SITE IS LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO, OR USE OF, THE SITE. EVERYTHING ON THE SITE IS PROVIDED TO YOU “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

ISHS shall not be liable for any damages to, or viruses that may infect, your computer equipment on account of your access to, use of, or browsing in the Site or your using of any materials, data, text, images, video or audio displayed on the Site. ISHS shall under no circumstances be liable to any party for any lost profit or lost opportunity, indirect, special, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages whatsoever. Although ISHS has taken reasonable care to ensure that the information, data and other material made available online is error-free and up-to-date, it accepts no responsibility for corruption to the information, data and other material thereafter, including but not limited to any defects caused by the transmission or processing of the information, data and other material. The information made available online has been obtained from or is based upon sources believed by ISHS to be reliable but is not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness. The information is supplied without obligation and on the understanding that any person who acts upon it or otherwise changes his/her position in reliance thereon does so entirely at his/her own risk.

Historic information is uncorrected and may contain erros in typography or fact in current context. ISHS accepts no liability for information contained in archived material.

ISHS shall use all reasonable endeavours to provide uninterrupted electronic availability of ISHS online products, but if access is suspended or interrupted or a fault or defect occurs which prevents access to the server, ISHS shall accept no liability. The User is responsible for all charges associated with accessing the content, including any computer equipment, telephone or Internet connections and access software. ISHS reserves the right to refuse access to any individual, network or User at any time. Although ISHS online products are developed in view of maximum compatibility and user-friendliness, ISHS cannot guarantee any of these products to work on or with any particular computer system.

ISHS has no obligation for monitoring any ideas, concepts, suggestions or comments (hereafter collectively called “Ideas”) you transmit to ISHS by electronic mail or otherwise. ISHS understand that you abandon all rights regarding the Ideas at the time when you transmit the Ideas to ISHS, and ISHS has no obligations to keep the Ideas confidential. ISHS has no responsibility for any problems or issues resulted from the Ideas. ISHS has a right to delete such Ideas from servers without notice.

You are prohibited from sending any unlawful, threatening, libellous, defamatory, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, pornographic or profane electronic mails etc. that could constitute or encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offence, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any law. ISHS has a right to delete such information from servers without notice.

The trademarks, logos and service marks (hereafter collectively called “Trademarks”) displayed on the Site are registered and unregistered Trademarks of ISHS and others.

ISHS is not responsible for the content of any other sites linked to the Site.

ISHS may at any time revise these Terms and Conditions by updating. You are bound by any such revisions and should therefore periodically visit this page to review the then current Terms and Conditions to which you are bound.

Privacy Policy – General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

PRIVACY POLICY

International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)

Effective Date: February 16, 2026

1. INTRODUCTION

The International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) (“we,” “us,” “our,” or “Company”) is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring you have a positive experience on our website (ishs.org) and related digital services (“Website”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our Website and utilize our services, including but not limited to browsing content, registering for events, subscribing to newsletters, and accessing member resources.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Website. By accessing and using the Website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all the provisions of this Privacy Policy.

2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us through various forms and interactions on the Website, including:

Account Registration: When you create an account or member profile, we collect your name, email address, organization, professional affiliation, and contact information.

Newsletter and Mailing List Subscriptions: Your email address and subscription preferences when you subscribe to our newsletters or mailing lists.

Event Registration and Participation: Information provided when registering for conferences, seminars, webinars, or other ISHS events, including personal details, dietary requirements, and payment information.

Contact Forms: Information submitted through contact forms, inquiry forms, or feedback forms, including your name, email, subject matter, and message content.

Payment Information: Transaction details when you make purchases or register for paid events. Payment information is processed by secure third-party payment processors.

Communication: Any information contained in communications you send to us via email, contact forms, or other messaging channels.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit and interact with our Website, we automatically collect certain technical and behavioral information:

Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing behavior, preferences, and interactions with our Website.

Server Logs: Our web servers automatically record information such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URL, and the pages you visit.

Device Information: Technical information about the device you use to access the Website, including device type, unique identifiers, and mobile network information.

Usage Analytics: Data about how you interact with our Website, including pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, and navigation patterns.

Location Information: We may collect approximate location information based on your IP address, but we do not collect precise GPS or location data without your explicit consent.

2.3 Third-Party Information

We may receive information about you from third-party sources, including:

Social Media Platforms: If you link your social media account to our services or interact with our content on social media platforms.

Business Partners: Information shared by our partners or affiliated organizations for joint activities, research, or member management.

Public Records: Publicly available information to verify organizational affiliation or professional credentials.

3. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

Website Operation and Maintenance: To provide, operate, improve, and maintain the Website and our services.

Service Delivery: To process your registrations, manage your account, and deliver the services you request.

Event Management: To organize, communicate about, and manage conferences, seminars, webinars, and other ISHS events.

Newsletter and Communications: To send you newsletters, updates, announcements, and communications you have opted to receive.

Marketing and Promotional Activities: To send marketing materials, promotional offers, and information about ISHS activities (only with your consent).

Member Relations: To manage member services, provide member benefits, and maintain our member community.

Communication: To respond to your inquiries, requests, and feedback.

Analytics and Research: To analyze Website usage, understand user preferences, and conduct research to improve our services (using anonymized and aggregated data).

Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations, regulations, and court orders.

Security and Fraud Prevention: To protect against fraud, malicious activities, security threats, and unauthorized access.

Statistical Analysis: To generate statistical insights about our audience and services for internal business purposes.

We will not use your personal data for purposes incompatible with those listed above without first obtaining your explicit consent.

4. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

4.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small data files that are stored on your device when you visit a website. They allow websites to remember information about your visit, including your preferences and interactions. Cookies may be persistent (stored until deleted or expiration) or session-based (deleted when you close your browser).

4.2 Cookies We Use

Our Website uses the following types and specific cookies:

Essential/Functional Cookies: Required for Website functionality and security.

   – Session cookies for maintaining your login status and Klaro consent preferences

Analytics Cookies (Google Analytics):

   – _ga – Used to distinguish unique users

   – _ga_ – Used to persist session state

Google Translate Cookies:

   – NID – Used to remember your language preferences when using the translation feature

Dropbox Integration Cookies:

   – __Host-js_csrf – Cross-site request forgery protection

   – __Host-logged-out-session – Session management for logged-out users

   – locale – Language preference

   – gvc – Captcha verification

   – t – Tracking identifier

   – uc_session – Upload session management

   – __Host-ss – Secure session cookie

Vimeo Integration Cookies:

   – __cf_bm – Bot detection and security

   – _cfuvid – User identification for analytics

Total: 12 cookies across all services.

4.3 Cookie Consent

We use Klaro, a consent management platform, to obtain your explicit consent before deploying non-essential cookies. When you first visit our Website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner that allows you to:

   – Accept all cookies and tracking technologies

   – Reject all non-essential cookies

   – Customize your preferences by selecting which cookie categories to accept

   – Access detailed information about each cookie type and its purpose

You may withdraw or modify your cookie preferences at any time by accessing the cookie management settings on our Website.

4.4 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. However, blocking or deleting cookies may affect your ability to access certain features or services on our Website. Instructions for managing cookies in popular browsers are available at: https://www.allaboutcookies.org/

5. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES AND INTEGRATIONS

Our Website uses the following third-party services that may collect and process your information:

5.1 Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager

We use Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to track Website usage, analyze user behavior, and measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. These services collect data including:

   – Pages visited and time spent on each page

   – Browser and device information

   – Geographic location (based on IP address)

   – Referral sources

   – User interactions and events

Google processes this data according to its Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

5.2 Google Translate

Our Website includes Google Translate functionality to provide translation services. When you use this feature, text from our Website is sent to Google’s servers for translation processing. Please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy for details on how Google handles this data.

5.3 Dropbox and Vimeo

We use Dropbox for file hosting and Vimeo for video hosting. When you access embedded Dropbox files or Vimeo videos on our Website, these services may collect information about your device and interactions. Please review their privacy policies for more information:

   – Dropbox Privacy Policy: https://www.dropbox.com/privacy

   – Vimeo Privacy Policy: https://vimeo.com/privacy

5.4 Newsletter Service (Flexmail)

We use Flexmail as a newsletter service provider for our email marketing and mailing list management. Flexmail is a form plugin and service used to manage our newsletter subscriptions, NOT a tracking cookie. When you voluntarily subscribe to our newsletter through the subscription form on our Website, your email address and marketing preferences are securely stored in the ISHS database systems for the purpose of sending you newsletter updates and communications.

Please note: Flexmail does not employ tracking cookies on our Website. Any data processing by Flexmail is limited to email campaign management and analytics for emails you have opted to receive. You can manage your Flexmail subscription preferences and opt out of marketing emails at any time.

Mailchimp’s Privacy Policy is available at: https://flexmail.be/en/

5.5 Your Rights Regarding Third-Party Data Processing

You have the right to opt out of third-party tracking. You can:

   – Disable Google Analytics tracking using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

   – Manage your Mailchimp subscription preferences and opt out of marketing emails

   – Configure your browser privacy settings to block third-party cookies

   – Use the Klaro consent management tool on our Website to adjust your tracking preferences

6. GDPR COMPLIANCE AND YOUR RIGHTS

The International Society for Horticultural Science is committed to complying with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable data protection laws. If you are a resident of the European Union or other jurisdictions with similar data protection laws, you have the following rights:

6.1 Your Data Protection Rights

Right to Access: You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you and to receive a copy of that data.

Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Right to Erasure (Right to Be Forgotten): You have the right to request deletion of your personal data, subject to certain exceptions and legal obligations.

Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict our processing of your data in certain circumstances.

Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit it to another organization.

Right to Object: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes and other processing activities.

Right to Withdraw Consent: If we rely on your consent to process your data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe our processing of your data violates applicable law.

6.2 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 8 (Contact Information). We will respond to your request within 30 days or as required by applicable law. We may request additional information to verify your identity before processing your request.

6.3 Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on one or more of the following legal bases:

Contractual Performance: Processing necessary to fulfill your requests or provide services you have engaged us to provide.

Consent: Processing based on your explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

Legal Obligation: Processing required to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or court orders.

Legitimate Interests: Processing for our legitimate business interests, including Website improvement, security, and analytics, where these interests are not overridden by your fundamental rights and freedoms.

Member Relations: Processing necessary for managing our member community and providing member services.

7. DATA SHARING AND DISCLOSURE

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal data to third parties. However, we may share your information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers: We may share information with trusted service providers who assist us in operating our Website and conducting our business, including hosting providers, analytics companies, email service providers, and payment processors. These providers are contractually obligated to use your data only for the purposes we specify.

Business Partners: We may share limited information with partner organizations for joint activities, research initiatives, or member cooperation, with your knowledge and consent.

Legal Requirements: We will disclose your information when required by law, government request, court order, or legal process.

Protection of Rights: We may disclose information to protect our legal rights, privacy, safety, or property, and that of our members and the public.

Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, dissolution, reorganization, or similar transaction or proceeding, your information may be part of the transferred assets.

Aggregated and Anonymized Data: We may share aggregated, anonymized data that cannot identify you with third parties for research, marketing, and analytics purposes without your consent.

With Your Consent: We will share your information with third parties when we have your explicit consent to do so.

8. DATA SECURITY

We implement comprehensive administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Our security measures include:

SSL/TLS Encryption: We use secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) and SSL/TLS encryption to protect data transmitted between your device and our servers.

Access Controls: We implement role-based access controls and authentication mechanisms to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to your personal data.

Data Minimization: We collect and retain only the minimum amount of personal data necessary to fulfill our stated purposes.

Regular Security Audits: We conduct regular security assessments and vulnerability testing to identify and address potential security weaknesses.

Employee Training: Our staff receives training on data protection, privacy practices, and security procedures.

Incident Response Plan: We maintain a documented incident response procedure to quickly address any data breaches or security incidents.

However, no security system is completely impenetrable. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security of data transmitted over the Internet or stored on our systems.

8.1 Reporting Security Breaches

In the event of a data breach or security incident that may compromise your personal data, we will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities as required by applicable data protection laws, without undue delay and in compliance with legal requirements.

9. DATA RETENTION

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law. Our general data retention policies are as follows:

Member Account Data: Retained for the duration of your membership and for a reasonable period afterward to facilitate account reactivation and service continuity, typically 3-5 years after account termination.

Newsletter Subscribers: Retained until you unsubscribe from our mailing list. After unsubscription, we retain your email address on a suppression list to prevent re-subscription.

Event Registration Data: Retained for the duration of the event and a reasonable period thereafter for follow-up communications and record-keeping, typically 2-3 years.

Server Logs and Technical Data: Typically retained for 90 days to 1 year, depending on the type of data and operational requirements.

Cookie Data: Retained according to cookie expiration times or until consent is withdrawn.

Contact Form Data: Retained for 1-2 years after your last contact with us.

Legal and Regulatory Records: Retained as long as required by applicable law or regulation, which may extend beyond other retention periods.

You may request deletion of your personal data at any time, subject to legal retention requirements. Upon deletion, we will remove your data from our active systems, although archived copies may be retained for legal compliance purposes.

10. CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, concerns about your personal data, or wish to exercise your rights under data protection laws, please contact us:

Organization: International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)

Website: www.ishs.org

Email: info@ishs.org

Mailing Address: ISHS Secretariat, Pastoriestraat 2, 3360 Korbeek-Lo, Belgium.

Data Protection Officer Contact: info@ishs.org

We aim to resolve any concerns within 14 days of your contact. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

11. COOKIE CONSENT MANAGEMENT

Our Website uses the Klaro consent management platform to obtain and manage your cookie and tracking preferences. When you first visit our Website, you will be presented with a cookie consent notice that provides:

   – Description of the cookies and tracking technologies we use

   – The purpose of each cookie category

   – Links to privacy policies of third-party service providers

   – Options to accept all, reject all, or customize your preferences

   – A link to access this Privacy Policy

You may modify your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the cookie preferences link typically found in the website footer or by accessing the cookie management tool directly.

12. UPDATES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of material changes by:

   – Posting the updated Privacy Policy on our Website with a new effective date

   – Sending you an email notification if we have your email address on file

   – Requesting your consent if required by applicable law

Your continued use of our Website after updates constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

13. POLICY AUTHORITY AND JURISDICTION

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the Netherlands and the European Union, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For users in other jurisdictions, this policy complies with applicable data protection and privacy laws in those jurisdictions to the maximum extent possible.

If any provision of this Privacy Policy is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect. In the event of any conflict between this Privacy Policy and applicable law, the more protective provision will prevail.

14. ACKNOWLEDGMENT

By accessing and using the ISHS website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms and conditions. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, you should cease using our Website immediately.

Document Version: 1.0 | Last Updated: February 16, 2026

© 2026 International Society for Horticultural Science. All Rights Reserved.

If you have any further questions regarding the data ISHS collects, or how we use it, then please feel free to contact us