A potentially defining moment for the future of Canada’s Seeds Regulations came in late 2021 when Seeds Canada initiated a stakeholder summit on Seed Regulatory Modernization.
The industry has identified a need for additional input concerning stakeholder requirements for a future seed system and looks forward to initiating a summit that would bring together all value chain participants impacted by the Seeds Regulations.
There is broad agreement that a review of the regulatory framework is required as the last major review of the regulatory framework was completed in 1996.
“The review, led by CFIA, is much appreciated and very much needed,” noted Ellen Sparry, Seeds Canada president.
“We do, however, believe that an overall vision for the sector’s future and the producers’ needs and realities must be more clearly understood to ensure we are putting the right tools in place. What would best enable our customers and in turn, our businesses? What system would best deliver seed innovation and support advancement today and beyond? A full regulatory review is unlikely to occur again for quite some time, so we need to get this right.”The intention behind the summit would be to assess the current regulatory environment and ask stakeholders what they need from a modernized seed system in Canada. These insights will inform what Seeds Canada calls a “Seed Regulatory Modernization Vision” and the regulatory review process.
Discussions will be framed around themes addressing key components of an innovative, competitive, and end-user friendly Canadian seed system. Seeds Canada will keep stakeholders apprised of summit plans as they develop. It is expected to take place early in 2022 and will be virtual.
Seeds Canada’s members-only semi-annual meeting was held in November and included a member discussion on SRM and also a roundtable with Dr. Siddika Mithani, president of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Prior to the meeting, Seeds Canada Executive Director Barry Senft spoke with Germination and said Seeds Canada is concerned that the industry has not yet had the kind of “big picture” discussions needed to make significant regulatory change.
“We’re concerned about the process leading up to it, that we haven’t had those big picture issues discussing the vision for what the future the seed industry should look like,” Senft said.
“We need the big picture laid out, then have the task teams work toward that vision. Seeds Canada is participating in this process with the understanding that the needed changes are going to absolutely occur. This was meant to be a substantial review of the seeds regulations, and that’s what we want to see come out of it.”
—This story is the eighth instalment in our Top 10 Stories of 2021. For more on this topic see the links below:
Seeds Canada Initiating ‘Stakeholder Summit’ to Craft Vision for Regulatory Modernization
