As global pressures mount and a new generation enters the fray, AOSCA is building momentum with fresh tools, tighter standards, and a deepening relationship with its Canadian counterparts.
South Carolina’s Sarah Adams Wilbanks isn’t new to the international seed circuit. As CEO of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA), she’s spent the past four years helping modernize one of North America’s most critical — but often overlooked — agricultural networks. Speaking to a crowd of Canadian seed growers and industry officials in Victoria, B.C. today at the annual meeting of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), Wilbanks offered both a candid snapshot of AOSCA’s ongoing transformation and a strong vote of confidence in Canada’s role within it.
“Canada makes up about a third of all certified seed acres in North America,” Wilbanks said. “That’s a staggering number. And it underscores why our partnership with CSGA is so critical.”
The remarks came during the CSGA’s annual meeting in Victoria, where Wilbanks was invited to deliver a keynote update on AOSCA’s recent progress. Her message: while the world of seed certification may seem niche, it sits at the crossroads of trade, technology, and food security — and it’s undergoing quiet but meaningful change.
A Quiet System Under Pressure
AOSCA, often called the umbrella organization for seed certification in North America, coordinates efforts across two dozen U.S. agencies and its Canadian partners. Certification is a vital system that ensures genetic purity, traceability, and quality in seed production. It underpins everything from domestic crop productivity to international export credibility.
But Wilbanks pointed to a steady decline in certified seed acres in the U.S.— a trend that troubles her.
“Some of it is hard to pin down. Advances in crop science play a role, but it’s also about making sure our system evolves with the times,” she said.
In Canada, where certification is more strongly embedded in policy and practice, the numbers remain more robust. But Wilbanks stressed that challenges cross borders — and so must the solutions.
From Alphabet Soup to Clear Standards
Among the biggest priorities for AOSCA has been updating its notoriously complex “standards book” — a critical document that outlines the precise rules for certifying seed across crops and regions.
“In an industry that lives in acronym soup, clarity matters,” Wilbanks said, drawing chuckles from the crowd.
The modernization process, launched under her leadership, aims to make standards more accessible and consistent, particularly for the next generation of professionals entering the seed sector. Many of the seasoned inspectors and agency directors are nearing retirement, and newcomers need streamlined tools and training to interpret and apply certification rules uniformly.
A new inspector credentialing program, launching this fall, is one answer to that challenge. The program includes in-person training across multiple crop types, ending with a certification process that gives inspectors a professional benchmark similar to those in seed testing or lab services.
Breeding Innovation Meets Regulatory Speed
Perhaps the most notable example of AOSCA’s new agility is its rapid development of certification standards for a novel breeding method: nuclear male-sterile hybrid wheat. A breeding technique being championed by Corteva Agriscience, it represents a bold bet on certified seed in a U.S. landscape where certification is not mandatory.
“Something like that used to take years,” Wilbanks said. “We approved standards in under 12 months. That speaks volumes about the value of this system and our ability to respond to industry.”
Data Tools and Database Gaps
Wilbanks also highlighted the creation of a new publicly available variety description database, designed to streamline how certification agencies across the U.S. track and verify seed varieties. The tool helps fill a longstanding gap—previously, there was no central resource capturing variety data across multiple eligibility pathways, such as OECD or internal reviews.
“It sounds small, but it’s big. It creates a level playing field and improves transparency,” she noted.
Training, Marketing, and Looking North
Two programs are also helping fuel AOSCA’s cultural renewal. The AOSCA Academy, now in its second year, provides both leadership and technical training for emerging industry professionals. And new marketing campaigns — including a soon-to-be-launched consumer landing page — aim to better communicate what “certified seed” actually means in the public eye.
On that front, Wilbanks gave a nod to CSGA’s own outreach materials. “We definitely borrowed a few ideas,” she joked. “Canada’s done a phenomenal job.”
Wrapping up her talk, Wilbanks reiterated the importance of taking a truly continental approach to seed certification. With seed and plant material flowing freely across the U.S.–Canada border, she stressed that a shared commitment to quality and modernization benefits everyone.
“We do a lot of work behind the scenes,” she said. “But it’s work that keeps agriculture moving forward — and keeps markets open.”
The audience had one more reason to cheer: AOSCA’s 2027 annual meeting will be hosted in Canada for the first time in years. Location details are still being finalized, but Wilbanks said she looks forward to welcoming colleagues from across North America to the Great White North.
