Global agriculture thrives on the ability to move seed efficiently and safely across borders.
The international seed trade is important on many levels. Having clear and workable rules to guide that movement is essential to the success of seed producers, companies, trading partners and growers. Governments around the world set regulations that affect the ability to move seed across borders. These rules are often seen as trade barriers, and sometimes they are, but they also play an important role in how the modern seed industry supports local, national and global agriculture. The impact of international seed trade reaches far beyond the price of seed and extends to global food security and economic development.
Seed as a Bridge, Not a Barrier
Seed moves from country to country not only for the opportunity for direct sales to end-users or company-to-company sales. It also moves within companies or trading partners for evaluation in multiple environments and to speed up the time to market via counter-season production. Coordinated and harmonized regulations help get seed where it needs to be when it needs to be there.
Harmonization in Action
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Schemes for the Varietal Certification of Seed, commonly known as the OECD Seed Schemes, is an international agreement established in 1958 and managed by the OECD since 1961.
The Schemes aim to harmonize common standards for varietal certification of seed lots. Navigating the different approaches to seed certification around the world can still be challenging.
There are 64 participating countries with several more preparing to join. Most new members in the past 10 to 15 years have been developing nations, mainly in Africa, and that growth is expected to continue with new interest in the Asia-Pacific region.
These countries see the OECD Seed Schemes along with strong variety registration systems, UPOV-aligned intellectual property procedures, and ISTA-based testing as the foundation for building reliable, high-quality seed systems. Their goal is to give farmers access to seed that performs well and supports national food security.
Modernizing Trust
In countries that have participated in the Schemes for many years and have long-established seed certification systems, there are two main approaches. Some, primarily in the European Union and those that follow its lead, require seed of most agricultural species to be certified before it can be sold, including imported seed and specifically certified under the OECD Seed Schemes. In countries where certification is more voluntary it is a value addition because of the third-party verification.
Seed certification follows established protocols that verify the seed source from breeder to planting stock, include field inspections to confirm varietal purity and identity and secure finished lots to prevent tampering and counterfeiting. To better serve the seed industry and end users, certification authorities should use new tools such as imaging, genetic testing and anti-counterfeiting technologies to improve accuracy and integrity throughout the process. Some national authorities remain hesitant to work with, rather than simply regulate, the seed sector in their own countries and with trading partners. We continue to push for modernization and greater cooperation with the private sector.
For the past decade, I have had the honor of representing the U.S. seed industry in OECD Seed Schemes. It can be challenging to navigate policy and approach differences among countries to ensure the rules and standards work within our system and allow our companies and certifying agencies to effectively implement them. Our goal is to help U.S. seed companies gain and maintain access to existing and emerging markets and production areas. I am grateful to everyone from our seed companies and certification agencies who provide input on potential scheme changes. It is truly a team effort.
