b'MEETING MINDSOFTHEThe 2022 Seed Congress of the Americas made the perfect venue for a crucial gathering between Seeds Canadas and Chiles national seed association.Marc ZienkiewiczIF YOU BUILDit, they will come. Scott Horner recentlyernment officials and students, to learn, connect, gener-decided to modify that old adage to something more like,ate new business, promote products and learn about the If you organize it, they will attend. latest innovations.Horner, chief commercial officer of Albertas HyTechSessions focused on major areas of the seed business: Production, initiated a first-of-its-kind meeting betweeninnovation, environment, social and economic sustainabil-Seeds Canada members and Chiles seed association atity, facilitation of seed movement and the importance of the Seed Congress of the Americas, held in Uruguaycommunication.in the fall and hosted by the Seed Association of the Americas (SAA). Open DiscussionAttending the meeting were members of Canadian andThe SAA Congress has many components, split into dif-Chilean seed companies, members of the Canadian Foodferent floorsthe trading area, the exhibition floor, the Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Chilean equivalentinnovation floor and the plenary sessions, all running Servicio Agrcola y Ganadero (SAG), the Canadian Seedsimultaneously, notes Diego Risso, executive director of Growers Association, Seeds Canada, and Chiles seedthe SAA.association Asoc. Gremial Nacional de Productores deThis years event was very successful in terms of the Semillas (ANPROS). It was a mix of both in-person andnumber of people, the number of countries that partici-virtual attendees. pated, and the range of people who took part. But on A meeting like this has never happened before wheretop of that, we received some very solid feedback from we had canola seed companies, seed association repre- people who said it was very valuable from a business sentatives and regulators all in the same room, Hornerperspective, Risso says. says. That in itself was an accomplishment. The people who attend are here to do business. We This years SAA Congress was a bit different, as itattract very high-calibre attendees who are serious about included a beefed-up trading floor organized in partner- doing business in the Americas and who attend because ship with Seed World Group. The two-and-a-half-daythey get results by attending. That counts for something.congress brought together regional seed professionals,Sarah Foster, president of 20/20 Seed Labs based in seed leaders, breeders, researchers, policymakers, gov- Nisku, Alta., agrees that the SAA event is becoming a The 2022 Seed Congress of the Americas was held in September. The event brought together more than 400 seed professionals, plant breeders, researchers, policymakers, government officials and students from 22 countries.24GERMINATION.CAJANUARY 2023'