b'Meeting of the MindsThe 2022 Seed Congress of the Americas made the perfect venue for a crucial gathering between Seeds Canada members and Chiles seed association.Marc ZienkiewiczIF YOU BUILD IT,they will come. Scott Horner recentlyan accomplishment.decided to modify that old adage a bit, to something moreThis years SAA Congress was a bit different, as it included like, If you organize it, they will attend. a beefed-up trading floor organized in partnership with Seed Horner, chief commercial officer of Albertas HyTechWorld Group. The two-and-a-half-day congress brought Production, initiated a first-of-its-kind meeting between Seedstogether regional seed professionals, seed leaders, breeders, Canada members and Chiles seed association at the Seedresearchers, policy makers, government officials and students, Congress of the Americas, held in Uruguay in the fall and hostedto learn, connect, generate new business, promote products and by the Seed Association of the Americas (SAA). learn about the latest innovations.Attending the meeting were members of CanadianSessions focused on major areas of the seed business: innova-and Chilean seed companies, members of the Canadiantion, environment, social and economic sustainability, facilitation Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Chilean equivalentof seed movement and the importance of communication.Servicio Agrcola y Ganadero (SAG), Canadian Seed Growers Association, Seeds Canada, and Chiles seed association Asoc.Open DiscussionGremial Nacional de Productores de Semillas (ANPROS). It was aThe SAA Congress has many components, split into different mix of both in-person and virtual attendees. floorsthe trading area, the exhibition floor, the innovation A meeting like this has never happened before where we hadfloor and the plenary sessions, all running simultaneously, notes canola seed companies, seed association representatives andDiego Risso, executive director of the SAA.regulators all in the same room, Horner says. That in itself wasThis years event was very successful in terms of number of The 2022 Seed Congress of the Americas was held in September. The event brought together more than 400 seed professionals, plant breeders, researchers, policymakers, government officials and students from 22 countries.46/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2023'