b'and framed it around three pillars: environmental sustainabil- competing regions. No-till practices, efficient fertilizer use, ity, economic sustainability and social sustainability. The keyand non-irrigated production all play into that. The flip side is was to address all three together and to make our guide non- important too: sustainability cant come at the expense of profit-prescriptive. We didnt want another sustainability program.ability. Retailers that understand both sides of that equation will We wanted a communications tool that reflects what seed busi- be much better partners.nesses are already doing and helps them tell that story. How are traceability and certified seed becoming What does sustainability look like in day-to-daypart of the sustainability expectation?operations?SWC: Tim, you export IP soybeans to Asia. What do traceability SWC: Tim, what does this look like on an actual farm or in aand certified seed mean in your world?seed business, beyond policy language? TM: For us, certified seed and traceability arent nice-to-haves TM: To be honest, a lot of growers feel like theyre already theyre the foundation of our program. Without them, doing the right things and sustainability is just extra documen- we dont have those premium markets. From a sustainabil-tation to prove it. Most of the practices buyers wantcropity angle, certified seed and local production do a couple of rotation, soil conservation, safe pesticide handling, proper stor- things. We grow varieties locally and specifically for our condi-age, etc.are already in place. The friction is in the paper- tions, which improves performance and reduces risk. Seed work and proof, not in the practices. The challenge for growers,doesnt travel halfway across the continent, so your transporta-and for retailers supporting them, is showing that whatstion footprint is smaller. already happening on farms is valuable and verifiable, without turning everybody into full-time form-fillers. SWC: Roy, youve argued that genetics is an under-told part of the sustainability story. How so?SWC: Nick, what did sustainability look like across plantRVW: Think of midge-tolerant wheat, Bt corn, shatter-resistant breeding, production, conditioning and retail when you spokecanola. These innovations have delivered huge economic gains with Seeds Canada members for the Guide? to farmers and reduced the need for certain inputs or passes. NS: It showed up in a lot of different ways. Breeders talkedFewer insecticide sprays, better standability, more resilient crops about productivity gains, disease resistance, reduced input thats environmental and economic sustainability rolled into needsbig environmental and economic wins. Seed grow- one. Yet if you look at most sustainability questionnaires, there ers highlighted clean seed, field histories, and stewardship ofmight be one question about variety choice. land over generations. Conditioners focused on quality control, waste reduction and energy efficiency. Retailers talked aboutSWC: Mike, bring this back to risk management. How does agronomic advice, product fit and long-term relationships withcertified seed reduce risk for growersand, by extension, for customers. What struck me is that everyone is already doingretailers?sustainability work, even if they dont call it that.MS: From a risk perspective, certified seed is a known quantity. Youre getting the variety you paid for, with varietal identity SWC: Roy, you see this up-close during audits. What standsand purity maintained through a regulated system. Those varie-out in terms of Canadian performance? ties have been tested, often by your own neighbourhood seed RVW: Weve done a lot of Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA)growers, under real-world conditions. You can compare how a audits now, which many know from the Sustainable Agriculturevariety performs on your farm versus others and choose what Initiative (SAI) platform. Its a questionnaire-based light audit,best fits your soil, climate and market. Certification gives farm-and farms are scored Bronze, Silver or Gold. Canadian farmersers and buyers confidence. do exceptionally well. The vast majority land in Silver or Gold. Thats not surprising if you look at our history; from the DirtyHow do we avoid checklist overload and still give Thirties onward, Canada responded to soil erosion and droughtbuyers the verification they need?with environmental farm plans and better practices. SWC: Nick, the Guide to Sustainable Seed was deliberately SWC: Mike, you watch a lot of national-level benchmarking.non-prescriptive. How does that help create a workable How does Canada stack up? system?MS: Very well. Several independent effortslike the NationalNS: We heard loud and clear from members: Please dont create Index on Agri-Food Performance and work by groups such asanother program we have to comply with. The Guide is not a the Centre for Food Integrityhave shown Canadian cropschecklist and not something you pass or fail. Its a celebra-often have some of the lowest environmental footprints intory, sector-wide communications tool. It lays out the three the world. Canadian durum, for example, has a significantlypillars and concrete examples of how plant breeders, producers, lower greenhouse gas footprint than durum produced in someconditioners and retailers contribute. JANUARY 2026SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA 35'