CSGA
Staying Current with Policies and Regulations
This issue of Germination reinforces the importance for everyone in the seed industry to stay involved and up-to-date on changing policies, regulations and legislation, with articles on Plant Breeders’ Rights, seed certification and phytosanitary issues. Just as the weather, crop prices, new variety developments and marketplace competition impact your seed business, changes to these policies and regulations can directly affect the direction and sustainability of your seed business. Monitoring these regularly is an integral part of a “whole farm” approach to proactive decision-making and risk assessment.
There are currently discussions underway on a large number of seed-related policy issues. These issues, and new ones, will most certainly continue for the foreseeable future. Just a few examples include:
• PBR;
• placement of crop kinds in Canada’s new variety registration system;
• import and export phytosanitary concerns;
• changes to the Canadian Wheat Board and how wheat and barley are marketed in Western Canada;
• private company investment and collaboration in cereal breeding programs;
• domestic and international policies on the low level presence of GM traits in markets where the trait is not yet approved;
• expiring patents on some of the first GM traits introduced;
• organic seed market developments; and
• streamlining of government services such as crop inspection in a manner acceptable to government and the seed sector.
The CSGA is involved in all of these discussions through various venues and consultative processes. In addition, a Seed Sector Value Chain Round Table recently established by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada will provide a value chain approach to reaching a consensus on the best way to address several of these issues.
Conferences, workshops and association annual meetings all provide a way for members and stakeholders to stay up-to-date on the business environment in which we operate. Each winter there is a multitude of meetings that you can take part in, and often it comes down to prioritizing which ones to attend. For seed growers, the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association branch or provincial association annual meetings provide a seed focus and an opportunity to discuss these issues as well as network with peers and other members of the industry.
During the winter of 2011-12, seed grower association annual meetings will take place across the country. The following is the line-up of meetings during which you can get up-to-date and involved in the issues impacting seed growers:
December 6:
Ontario (Sheraton Four Points Hotel in London)
December 7-8:
Manitoba (Club Regent Casino in Winnipeg)
December 13-14:
Maritimes (Chateau Moncton in Moncton)
January 10-11:
Saskatchewan (Saskatoon Inn in Saskatoon)
January 20:
B.C. (Library in Fort St. John)
January 22-23:
Alberta (Westin Hotel in Edmonton)
February 9:
Quebec (location yet to be finalized)
