After travelling coast to coast talking with farmers, breeders, researchers, and industry leaders, one thing became clear: Canadian plant breeding is at a defining moment, and the sector is ready to move. Now it is time to find out what moving actually looks like.
What We’ve Learned About Canadian Plant Breeding So Far
The first season of On the Brink set out to take the temperature of the sector. What we found was a group of people who understand the stakes with unusual clarity. A few things came through consistently, regardless of who was in the room:
- The decisions being made today will shape Canadian plant breeding for a generation
- A made-in-Canada solution is the only kind that will actually work here
- No single segment of the sector can get there alone — collaboration is not optional
- The willingness to have this conversation openly is real, and it is growing
- Diverse perspectives from across the sector will be essential to finding the strongest solutions
What surprised us most was not the depth of the problem. It was the depth of the engagement. Growers talked about on-farm risk. Industry leaders framed Canada’s position in global markets. People were not just defending their corner — they were thinking about how a broader solution could come together.
Why Canadian Plant Breeding Can’t Wait
The urgency is real. The decisions being made now — about investment, about infrastructure, about who builds what and where — will determine what Seed World Group President and CEO Shawn Brook calls a generation-defining moment for the sector. Federal research station closures have already changed the landscape. The question is not whether change is coming. It is whether the industry shapes it or inherits it.
That is the conversation On the Brink was built to have.
What’s Next: Ideas, Solutions, and New Voices
Season 2 goes deeper. Where the first nine episodes mapped the problem, the next ones dig into ideas and potential solutions — with a wide range of voices from across the industry contributing to what a made-in-Canada answer could actually look like.
No single guest has the whole answer. That is the point. The solution will come from bringing these perspectives together. That is what we are here to do. The conversation is just getting started.
Subscribe To On The Brink
On the Brink is a cross-country storytelling project about plant breeding in Canada. The goal is to spark an open, multi-perspective, ongoing conversation about what’s possible, what’s at stake, and how to seize opportunities ahead. On the Brink releases new episodes every Wednesday. Watch Episode 6 featuring Andrew Campbell and subscribe to have future episodes delivered directly to your inbox.
More Episodes
Be Part of this Conversation
We need your help to grow and evolve this conversation!
- Nominate individuals you think should be part of the On the Brink video series. Know someone who would add to the conversation? Email us at OnTheBrink@seedworldgroup.com
- Help expand the conversation by liking and sharing weekly episodes across LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and Facebook.
