b'How Can We Protectthe Future of Our Seed?Author: Sarah Foster, President, 20/20 Seed Labs Inc.Strong breeding systems are not only optional, they are essential.Plant breeding may feel far removed from the day-to-day decisions made on the farm, but the reality is this: everyyield gain, every disease-resistant variety, and every stress-tolerant crop we rely on today started with a breederswork years, and often decades, before it ever reached your field. In Canada, we are facing more unpredictable weather, new disease pressures, tighter margins, and risingproduction risk increasing year over year. We depend on strong genetics to help manage those risks. Yet today, thefuture of plant breeding in Canada, particularly for cereal crops, is being seriously challenged. Only about one-third of Western Canadian wheat acres are planted using certified seed. That matters. Certifiedseed is one of the primary ways breeders recover from the massive investment required to develop new varieties.Without a sustainable return, breeding programs, both public and private, struggle to continue delivering theinnovations growers depend on. Plant breeding is not just about yield.Innovation starts with breeders, but is sustained bygrowers. Other countries have shown that it isIt is about:possible to balance fair compensation for breeders,Improved disease and insect resistanceaccess and affordability for growers, the protection ofBetter drought and heat tolerancefarmer choice, and a healthy public-private breedingStronger stand establishmentsystem. In Canada we must continue workingImproved end-use qualitytogether toward policies and royalty systems thatGreater consistency across variable seasonsprotect innovation without compromising growerindependence or access to genetics. These are the tools that help growers protect profitabilityand manage risk on the farm. When breeding pipelines So where do growers fit into this conversation? slow down, choice shrinks. When choice shrinks, so doesresilience.Growers are not just end-users of seed; you arestewards of the system. Every decision made aroundAcross Western Canada, the last several harvests have seed selection, certified vs. bin-run use, and varietyclearly shown how fragile production can be. Fromadoption has long-term ripple effects on the future ofexcess moisture to drought and early frost to heat plant breeding in this country.stress, and sometimes all in the same season. Seedquality has taken hits for many reasons year after year.The question is not just what I seed this year, butwhat kind of seed system do I want to exist in 10 orEvery spring, we hope for timely planting conditions 20 years. Plant breeding is ultimately about one thing,and early vigour, yet those outcomes are increasingly protecting your ability to farm successfully into theinfluenced by genetics as much as weather.future. So, how can we help protect it?By staying informed, supporting sustainable innovation and by participating in thediscussion shaping Canadas seed system. Because seeds are not just another input. They are the foundation of every crop you grow. www.2020seedlabs.ca'