b'COMPARING CANADA TO THE WORLDAt its annual meeting in St. Johns, Nfld., Seeds Canada put the spotlight on a new benchmarking study that looks at how we stack up against other parts of the globe.Marc ZienkiewiczSEED INNOVATION IS sustainability in action. That was the central theme of Seeds Canadas 2023 annual meeting in St. Johns, Nfld. in July. Seeds Canada once again showed it has its finger on the pulse of regulatory matters and where it feels the country needs to go to remain competitive. With an experienced team, including CEO Barry Senft, the organization is driven by the passion of its members and clients in its dedication in shaping the future of the seed industry.Navigating the Seeds Canada amalgamation over two years into it has been a learning experience, Senft said in an inter-view. He acknowledges that one of the biggest challenges he faces stems from the different objectives and priorities of those four legacy organizations, and keeping all stakeholders content and aligned is a considerable undertaking. Senft draws parallels with his past experiences in a grain industry merger and highlights the importance of striking a balance among the diverse interests involved.Barry Senft, CEO of SeedsJohn Groenewegen of JRG I originally came from Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO),Canada, says a new studyConsulting authored the new and Ive been through a merger situation quite like what weserves as a benchmark to gaugereport on Canadas seed went through here. One of the first things I noticed was howCanadas position as a seedenvironment in comparison to emotional the transition could be. At GFO, the farmers weredevelopment environment. others.the clients/members, and they had pretty common objectives, Senft said.Inthis new merger, Ive noticed a significant differ-ence. There are four distinct legacy organizations involved,Assessing Canadas Seed Regulatory Systemeach with their own objectives and priorities. While there areCanadas seed regulatory system was the subject of a recent some similarities in our goals, there are also notable differ- benchmarking study, comparing it with similar systems ences. Balancing the interests of these various organizationsworldwide. The report, commissioned by the Canadian Food has proven to be a welcome challenge. Ensuring that everyoneInspection Agency and conducted by JRG Consulting, shed remains satisfied and aligned amidst these differing objectiveslight on the areas where Canada excels and areas that might requires a delicate approach. need improvement.28GERMINATION.CASEPTEMBER 2023'