I’ve had many items on my agenda since I came on as intellectual property manager for Seeds Canada, but a big one has been ensuring we make the Variety Use Agreement (VUA) and its related platform more efficient and built with the future in mind.
Property Services
Manager
I’m happy to report that we’ve been hard at work revamping the platform in order to take it to the next level and ensure the VUA serves as a value creation tool that does exactly what it’s meant to do — reward plant breeders for their innovations and keep a steady flow of innovative new varieties coming to growers.
Since the VUA was launched, our industry has gone through an amalgamation and our first priority was a rebrand. The VUA now falls under the Seeds Canada banner. In addition, we’ve taken a lot of feedback from all levels of VUA platform users. We knew if the VUA platform wasn’t user friendly, people wouldn’t want to use it. Our eyes are open, our ears are open, and we’re working towards solutions to make the VUA platform better than ever.
Planned improvements include backend/ database maintenance; the updating of all agreements to reflect consistency in branding; streamlining of processing (including possibly merging the Platform Use Agreement and Variety Use Agreement for purchasers into one document and adding “quantity of seed purchased” information to agreements.
In addition to technical improvements, we’re also continuing with an education initiative to inform users and potential users about the VUA and what it’s meant to do.
The VUA is growing as its value becomes more apparent. We now have 11 varieties enrolled in the program (more than triple the number since it was first launched). Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it will take time for the VUA to become a prominent source of funding for plant breeding innovation in Canada.
As we work to improve the VUA and encourage others to use it, we’re open to feedback from users at all levels, from the breeder to the retailer to the grower. Feel free to email me at mreekie@seeds-canada.ca and I will be happy to work with you to further improve this valuable tool.
