b'what seed businesses look like intions in the spring of 2014. Canada, he says.Dale Adolphe, executive director Years ago, SeCan had a tradeof the CSGA at the time, presented a and grower designation within ourmodel that had been discussed with bylaws. We literally differentiatedthe CSGA board at that same meet-between people who grew seeding. Adolphe recalls his idea to whit-and people who worked in the seedtle down the industrys five dedicated trade. It was trade vs. grower. Thatseed associations to three.approach doesnt make sense any- Under the model I came up more. We dont have members whowith, the CPTA would be a commit-only grow seed and do nothing else,tee of CSTA. CSI and CSAAC would Reid adds.become one organization. CSGA This NSO were proposing toand CSTA would remain separate. It create recognizes that we have smallmade sense. CSGA is a co-regulator players, medium ones and large oneswith the Canadian Food Inspectionbut for the most part we all haveAgency. CSTA is a lobby organization. a stake in all aspects of the indus- Patty Townsend is a former CEO of theAnd CSI and CSAAC both have very try. Its a huge advantage to have allCanadian Seed Trade Association. similar mandates. I could have come those people around the same tableup with something similar to the cur-in the form of Seeds Canada. rent NSO model being proposed, but Richardsons Peter Entz agrees.I felt the three-association model was Now the assistant vice-president ofmore in line with the realities of the seed and traits for the company, heindustry, he says. remembers that lunchtime chat withI havent been party to any of the Reid all those years ago. He says themeetings since I retired in 2015, but I industry has continued to changehonestly do believe as time has pro-in ways that make Seeds Canadagressed, the people who initially said not only good for the country, but athis would take a lot of time to accom-necessity. plish were rightits taken five years As a company, we dont have aand its not there yet. I think theyre lot of people dedicated to associa- realizing the realities of funding chal-tion involvement. We feel we couldlenges, vested interests, governance, use our resources more efficiently byworrying about their organization get-being a part of Seeds Canada. Weting lost in the shuffle.need to coalesce. People often dontDale Adolphe is a former executive director ofAs of press time, no members of realize how many committees andthe Canadian Seed Growers Association. the five associations that make up the boards Richardson is engaged with.Seed Synergy project had yet voted Its a lot, he says.tions were operating in the sameon the NSO proposal. What if one or Its hard enough to get agriculturespaceoften with different objec- more of those associations opted not on the radar. Its very hard to get onetives and approacheswe realizedto become a part of Seeds Canada?component like seed on the radar,that bringing all those organizationsOngoing access to new innova-and if seed is further fractured intotogether with one voice was the besttions, IP protection, value creation all these groups, it makes it next toway to achieve good outcomes for all those things are the make-impossible to create that one voiceall of us in a beneficial and efficientor-break issues. To not be sitting we need to speak with. manner, she says. around the table where those things That one voice has been ref- are going to be discussed would be a erenced a lot over the past severalDifferent Models real shame, Reid says. years in coverage of the Seed SynergyThose in a position to make changeEntz agrees.project and the proposed creationbegan to look at different models ofTime marches on. Do we want of Seeds Canada. Patty Townsenduniting the industry. to talk about this for another decade? remembers being chief executiveCSTAs board developed a modelWe will hurt ourselves by continuing officer of the CSTA and seeing thefor a new, single seed organization,to kick the can down the road and firsthand effects of not having thatwith one board of directors oversee- before you know it, 10 more years one voice. ing a number of divisions includinghave gone by, he adds. This all began for the CSTAregulatory, policy, seed quality, intel- None of us are getting any board when we mapped the seedlectual property and internationalyounger, and this is about future spacethe issues and policies thattrade. That model was presented togenerations. Its time to put our own were of importance to the trade. a joint meeting of executive commit- egos aside and do this. When we saw how many organiza- tees of the five main seed organiza-8GERMINATION.CAJULY 2020'