b'PBR ADVISORYShe quickly fell for the seed potato industry specifi-callythe passion of the growers inspired her. Over COMMITTEE HITSthe almost two decades Hart spent working in the potato industry, she became an integral part of the industry both provincially and nationally.THE GROUNDNow, as chair for the PBR Advisory Committee, shell bring that expertise to bear in guiding the approach taken by Canadas PBR officials in strengthening the countrys IP RUNNING IN 2023 framework.Canada has so much potential to produce top-quality world-renowned crops, but we need a strong IP frame-With a new chairperson at the helm, Canadas Plantwork to move forward. Well be working on trying to Breeders Right Advisory Committee continues to ensure that farmers, breeders and seed companies have that protection that they need, Hart says.do important work to protect plant breeders at homeHarts accomplishments within the industry are numer-and beyond. ous and too many to name. She was a founding member of the On-Farm Food Safety Committee (now known as Marc Zienkiewicz and Ashley Robinson CanadaGAP), with the Canadian Horticultural Council. She was part of the working group who created a bios-CANADAS PLANT BREEDERSRights Advisory Committee hasecurity program for the potato industry with CFIA. She a new chairperson and a packed agenda for 2023. Debwas also appointed by the federal agriculture ministers Hart was appointed chair of the committeewhich pro- office to the PBR Advisory Committee.vides valuable guidance to officials at the Canadian FoodPeople like Deb make our advisory committee hugely Inspection Agency (CFIA) regarding intellectual propertyvaluable to the agriculture industry in Canada, says protection in Canada and beyondin late 2022. Anthony Parker, Canadas PBR commissioner and vice-Hart spent almost two decades helping and advocat- president of the International Union for the Protection of ing for the Alberta and Canadian seed potato industries asNew Varieties of Plants council. seed coordinator for Potato Growers of Alberta. She has served as an advisory committee member for many years representing the Canadian Potato Council. It was her experienced working in Wild Rose Country that led her to gain an appreciation of Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) in Canada, especially in the realm of seed potato.Once I started working in Alberta, where the seed industry is larger, I saw how much seed is exported to the U.S. Theyre using a lot of non-Canadian varieties, and its important to these American companies to remain active in Canada, says Hart, who got her first taste of the potato industry in 2001 when she became the general manager of the Saskatchewan Seed Potato Growers Association. She had previously worked in the seed industry with positions at SeCan, Limagrain and Monsanto. When HartKofi Agblor is program directorDeb Hart is a veteran of the made the switch to the potato industry, she thought herfor the Field Crop Developmentpotato industry and was Centre at Olds College inappointed chair of Canadas experience working with CFIA and the government throughAlberta. PBR Advisory Committee in late the seed industry would transfer overwhich it did. 2022.22GERMINATION.CAMARCH 2023'