b'CSGA / SEEDGROWERS.CA / SEED CERTIFICATION SETS CANADA APART GLOBALLYOUR GOAL? A CERTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR THE MODERN AGEI GREW UP alongside a family seed business and haveWe are ready to take on more personally been growing seed since the late 1990s indelegated authority from the Palmerston, Ont. This past July, at the Canadian SeedGovernment of Canada for seed certi-Growers Association (CSGA) annual general meeting, itfication. We are well positioned to be was an honour to have come on as president, taking thethe formal caretaker for certification torch from our past president, Joe Rennick. an important task that sets Canada My time with CSGA, as a member and on the board,apart on the world seed stage. Our has been an educational experience. Ive learned thatmain goal is to carry out certification CSGA is made up of people like myself who want to stepand standards development so well up to better the business of seed and provide a solidthat people think seed certification system for the future generation of producers. To dois easy. A streamlined certification Dale Connell, this, we must work with the complete confidence of thesystem created for the modern age is CSGA President Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), seed growers,what we want.producers and sector stakeholders.With over 118 years under our belt, CSGA has earned that confidence. We have been and still are the go-to organization for seed crop certification. We support inno- "CSGA AND SEEDS CANADA vation and new technologies that meet the seed sectors needs today and tomorrow. As we evolve and modernize,ARE COMPLEMENTARY we are getting better at explaining exactly what we do,ORGANIZATIONS, AND SRM why Certified seed is so important, and how it impacts Canadian agriculture. PROVIDES EACH OF US THE With the CFIAs Seed Regulatory Modernization (SRM) project in full swing, we all need to work toward a sharedOPPORTUNITY TO PLAY TOvision for the seed sectorcreating a strong and pros-perous next-generation seed system for Canada. And withOUR STRENGTHS."Seeds Canada, we now have another seed sector partner with which to work. CSGA and Seeds Canada are complementary organiza-tions, and SRM provides each of us the opportunity toAs our executive director Doug play to our strengths. Seeds Canada has many interestsMiller pointed out in this column ranging from intellectual property to phytosanitary, bio- back in September, our standards-tech, audit, and pest control product regulations. Whilesetting process actively involves many CSGA has positions on some of these issues, it is not theorganizations throughout the sector. focus of our association.We never unilaterally set standards; We are focused wholly on seed certification, standardswe unite seed experts under the development for seed genetic assurance, and represent- CSGA umbrella to do this.ing our 3,100 seed-growing members. It is quite a variedWith formal SRM discussions con-landscape within which everybody gets to operate. tinuing, I think the months and years Were at the beginning of our relationship with Seedsahead will be good for Canadian Canada. We are talking to each other and exploring ourseed. Im happy to focus my presi-SRM policy positions and ideas from both sides. Bothdency on helping lead CSGA and the organizations want a growing and thriving seed sector.entire sector to a place of success. 18GERMINATION.CANOVEMBER 2022'