b'SEEDS CANADA / SEEDS-CANADA.CA / A NEW REPORT OFFERS HELPFUL INSIGHTSINDUSTRY-LED, INDUSTRY-INCLUSIVE SEED CERTIFICATION BODIES ARE THE MOST EFFICIENT AND PRACTICALTHE CANADIAN FOODInspection Agency (CFIA) hasUruguay, the majority of crop inspections for certi-been holding consultations to determine possiblefication are carried out by accredited seed company amendments to the Seed Regulations. This process,employees. Although not included as case studies, called Seed Regulatory Modernization (SRM), wasthe report indicates that Denmark, Italy, and Spain originally announced in 2018 and kicked off in 2020. also allow accreditation of seed companies to perform The Seeds Regulations were first developed intheir own field inspections, sampling, lab testing and 1905 to protect farmers from purchasing fraudulent,labelling of seed. Audits and established protocols and low-quality seed. The most straightforward path toprocedures ensure compliance.updating 120-year-old regulations may be to makeAmendments to regulations also seem to be slight adjustments to the status quo, or none, if itcarried out in a more efficient manner elsewhere in Lauren Comin,is working good enougha black, white andthe world. In Canada, amendments to regulations Seeds Canadashades of grey approach. require proposals of change, publishing in the Canada Regulatory Affairs Manager However, a recently released benchmarking reportGazette for public review and comment, and then commissioned by the CFIA and prepared by JRGincorporation into the existing regulations. For SRM, Consulting shows that, beyond Canadas borders,we expect this to take at least five years.there is a lot of diversity in how seed sectors operateFor the most part, in the countries studied, as and how they go about amending regulations to keeplong as amendments conform to AOSCA or EU up with the pace of change; it is a veritable rainbow. minimum standards, they can be made relatively Concepts that have been declared by some in thequickly upon industry consensus. process as impractical and inefficient functionMany are aware that the U.S. doesnt have a vari-very well in these modern and high-performing inter- ety registration system. The other countries that were national systems. The report provides some food forstudied do, however, require varieties to be registered. thought and hopefully some inspiration to those whoAlthough Canada functions with only D and S, are engaged in the SRM process to think outside themost countries require DUS for variety registration: box. When government isnt responsible, the entireDistinguishable, Uniform and Stable.value chain shares governance. Our system in Canada is quite varied, from no Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the bench- registration at all (think corn) to registration and marking report is the industrys role in the regulatorymerit requirements in multiple categories (think space, especially in terms of standard setting andwheat in the West). In many of the countries studied, certification. In almost all instances, certification is aonce DUS is established, variety registration is simply shared responsibility across the value chain.a national variety listing exercise, so there is a record In the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Uruguay,of what is available and approved for sale.industry bodies made up of a cross-section of the seedSome countries, like Uruguay, do conduct perfor-sector comprise the governance structure for seedmance tests. However, this data is provided to farmers certification and standard setting. In the UK, a groupfor decision-making purposes, and doesnt restrict a of trustees is appointed by government to overseevarietys eligibility to be sold. the process, with expertise in various fields; however,We have an opportunity to reshape our seed their process is still very industry-led and governmentsystem to work for Canada today and into the future enabled.we should go through the exercise of looking The United States, the fifth and final country fea- beyond our own fields, seeking inspiration from other tured, has a bit of a state-by-state patchwork approachcountries whose seed systems are in some cases more which certainly doesnt seem like a model we shouldhighly regarded than our own.aspire to. Being tied to the past does not serve us well, The industry-led seed certification bodies areespecially when our competitors are prepared for the efficient and practical. future. In the Netherlands, United Kingdom and 38GERMINATION.CASEPTEMBER 2023'