b'Meetingof theMindsThe 2022 Seed Congress of the Americas made the perfect venue for a crucial gathering between Seeds Canadas and Chiles national seed association.Marc ZienkiewiczIF YOU BUILD IT,they will come. Sessions focused on major areas of the seed business: innova-Scott Horner recently decided to modify that old adage ation, environment, social and economic sustainability, facilitation bit, to something more like If you organize it, they will attend. of the seed movement and the importance of communication.Horner, CEO of Albertas HyTech Production, organized a first-of-its-kind meeting between Seeds Canada and ChilesOpen Discussionseed association at the Seed Congress of the Americas, held inThe SAA Congress has many components, split into different Uruguay in spring and hosted by the Seed Association of thefloorsthe trading area, the exhibition floor, the innovation floor Americas (SAA). and the plenary sessions, all running simultaneously.Attending the meeting were members of Canadian andThis years event was very successful in terms of number of Chilean seed companies, members of the Canadian Foodpeople, the number of countries that participated, and in terms of Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Chilean equivalent Serviciothe range of people who took part. But on top of that, this is the Agrcola y Ganadero (SAG), Canadian Seed Growers Association,first time that I received feedback from people who said it was Seeds Canada, and the Chilean Seed Association (ANPROS). Itreally valuable from a business perspective, Risso says. was a mix of both in-person and virtual attendees. The people who attend are here to do business. We attract A meeting like this has never happened before where we hadvery high-calibre attendees who are serious about doing busi-so many seed companies, associations and regulators all in oneness in the Americas and who attend because they get results by room, Horner says. That in itself was an accomplishment.attending. When you have so many big global seed congresses This years SAA Congress was a bit different, as it included anall competing for attendees, that counts for something.improved trading floor organized in partnership with Seed WorldSarah Foster, president of 20/20 Seed Labs based in Nisku, Group. The two-and-a-half-day congress brought togetherAlta., agrees that the SAA event is becoming a more crucial one regional seed professionals, seed leaders, breeders, researchers,over time, and the meeting between Seeds Canada and ANPROS policy makers, government officials and students, to learn, con- was one example of the high-level discussions that take place nect, generate new business, promote products and learn aboutthere.the latest innovations.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. 10/ SEEDWORLD.COMLATAM'