The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has unveiled 52 proposed changes to the Seeds Regulations — and while the sector helped shape them, questions remain about whether the pace of regulation can match the speed of science.
Seed may be the smallest input on the farm, but it’s also the most foundational — and the most regulated. In Canada, the way seed is imported, exported, licensed, and sold is governed by the Seeds Regulations, an aging framework last updated over two decades ago.
Now, after years of consultations, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is proposing an overhaul. The agency has released its long-awaited policy paper detailing 52 proposed changes to key sections of the Seeds Regulations, aiming to make them more “agile, transparent and responsive.”
It’s the latest step in a long and complex process, one that has included more than 130 stakeholders, two national surveys, and a multi-year working group. But the big question is: Will these changes be enough — and fast enough — to ensure Canada’s seed sector can remain competitive in a global market that’s evolving at breakneck speed?
The Case for Change
The CFIA sets the tone early in its policy paper: “Today’s agricultural environment is complex and ever-changing. Farmers and the industry need to navigate the challenges of a changing climate, seize opportunities presented by new technological advancements, and adapt to changing international and domestic market demands.”
In that context, it’s clear the regulations need to evolve. But how much change is too much — or too little?
The CFIA received 135 unique recommendations from across the sector. Of those, 38 were set aside, because stakeholders said those parts of the system still hold value or already offer enough flexibility. Another 22 were deemed out of scope and passed along to other programs.
That left 75 recommendations under active consideration. After policy analysis, 48 were incorporated into the proposed changes, along with four new ones from the CFIA itself.
What’s Changing?
The proposals target three major goals:
- Reduce red tape and administrative burden
- Support marketplace competitiveness and innovation
- Protect farmers, consumers and the environment
The CFIA says the proposed updates will better align Canada’s seed system with modern realities — everything from variety registration to import and export requirements, and licensing of registered seed establishments and their operators. And to ensure the regulations remain responsive, each theme is backed by policy decisions that will be open for further feedback.
Still, some industry players may be wondering what didn’t make the cut — and why.
The policy paper notes that “stakeholders supporting [the 38 retained recommendations] expressed continued value in the way seed is regulated or that the Regulations are already flexible and allow for future development.” But in an industry where pace of innovation is accelerating, particularly with new breeding technologies and data systems, even “flexibility” can become outdated fast.
What’s Next?
The CFIA says a full cost-benefit analysis will be completed and released alongside draft regulations in Canada Gazette, Part I in 2026, as required by the Cabinet Directive on Regulation. Until then, stakeholders are encouraged to review the policy paper and provide feedback.
To make that easier, the document is organized by regulatory themes and seed lifecycle stages, with proposals clearly identified and grouped for review. Proposals that may be reconsidered after the regulations are amended are flagged as well.
The CFIA is also clear in its appreciation for those who helped get the process this far: “The CFIA appreciates the more than 130 volunteers from across the value chain who came together on the seed regulatory modernization working group and task teams… and the hundreds of stakeholders who responded to the needs assessment survey and the two winter surveys.”
Download the policy paper.
