Over the next several weeks we’ll gather some insights from the 15 inaugural board members of Seeds Canada, our new national seed organization.
When we think of the word “pioneer”, we usually apply it to someone who lived long ago, without the benefit of modern technology.
Truth is, pioneers are all around us, and as Seeds Canada prepares to go live in February, we wanted to take this opportunity to recognize 15 of those pioneers who are helping lead the seed industry into the future.
On Feb. 1, the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) and the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) will amalgamate to create Seeds Canada.
The vision for Seeds Canada remains the same — to become the leading voice of the Canadian seed sector, helping its members succeed and grow in Canada and around the world.
This group of people from all areas of the seed sector intend to help the new organization do just that. In their own words, here’s how they plan to lead Seeds Canada.
This week we begin with Philippe Charlebois, Georges Chaussé and Quentin Martin.
Philippe Charlebois — Plessisville, Que
In 2018, Phil took the role of general manager of Semican, one of the only privately-owned seed companies in Eastern Canada, of which he’s been a part since 2010. In June 2019, he became co-owner of Semican with three colleagues and accepted the CEO position.
On why Seeds Canada is an inclusive organization
“One thing that’s really important for me is that while I’m from Eastern Canada, Seeds Canada is including everyone from all areas of the industry. We all have a stronger voice now, and at the end of the day that will help all of Canadian agriculture.”
“Compared to Western Canada, farmers in the East are obviously not at the same level in terms of the number of acres that they farm on. But the fact that a Seeds Canada member in the East has one vote just like a member in the West counts for a lot.”
Georges Chaussé— Longueuil, Que.
Georges leads the seed division at Sollio Agriculture. He started his career in the seed industry as a local sales rep in a coop in Joliette and has held senior roles at the Canadian International Development Agency and Sollio Agriculture.
On how Seeds Canada serves to unify the industry
“In my mind, this is not an association made up of different associations. To me, it’s an association of stakeholders, from growers to marketers, from technology providers to service providers. It’s no longer CSTA, or CSI, or CPTA or CSAAC. We are Seeds Canada. Whether you’re a seed grower or breeder, or a marketer or seed analyst or a facility inspector or what-have-you, we are one body. Of course, we will still work with CSGA, and we will be in constant contact with them. But anyone who wants to be part of the broader discussion can join Seeds Canada.”
Quentin Martin — West Montrose, Ont.
As owner of Cribit Seeds, Quentin has experienced significant evolution of his farming operation, which has included seed production and processing. His years of experience on boards of numerous organizations have given him the opportunity to engage in and encourage consensus decision making based on collaboration.
On why he agreed to sit on the inaugural board
“Growing seed got me into this industry, and then it was processing seed, then it was getting involved with various organizations. There’s been a progression, but it started with seed for me. Seeds Canada is really breaking down that compartmentalizing of people that’s been a problem for so many years, where we were all in separate silos. We went through that challenge at the Ontario Seed Growers Association. We managed to get some of that rigidity broken down way back in the early 2000s. We really diversified that board. Change is necessary in all areas of life, and it’s a great thing.”
On why he thinks the Seeds Canada board members will work well together
“I have both a BA and a Bachelor of Science in agriculture. Generally, I just say I have two degrees, one Celsius, one Fahrenheit. I’ve preferred to stay more general. And I would say that is how I view board positions. We all bring our personal experience, but once you’re on the board, I don’t think you should consider yourself a subject matter expert. You bring your experience, and then you just collectively try to make the best decisions.”
