b'CSGA / SEEDGROWERS.CA / ADVOCATE FOR THE SYSTEM THAT CONNECTS US ALLWHY THE SEED SECTORS WARNING LIGHTS ARE FLASHINGLETS NOT SUGARCOAT IT:were living in uncertain times. TheSuccessionworld feels polarized. Trust in institutions is stretched thin.Theres a wave of retirements across our And in agriculture, where consistency, rules-based trade andsector, and with them, decades of experi-collaboration matter most, the warning lights are flashing.ence are walking out the door. We cant Thats exactly why coming together matters, especially in thewait for the next generation to fill the seed sector. gap. We have to actively recruit, train, Our sector is built on relationships and predictability. Itand empower them.depends on shared standards, cross-border trade and collabora- Thats what AOSCA Academy is all tion across the value chain. Whether youre developing a newabout: not just mentorship, but a delib-variety in one country or shipping seed to another, were allerate investment in our future. Seeing part of the same system. In a time when so much feels unset- our first round of graduates and fresh By Doug Miller,tled, that system needs organizations like the Association offaces at our last meeting was a strong President of theOfficial Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) that can unify ourstarta sign the next generation is Association of Officialefforts and keep us moving forward. ready to step up.Seed CertifyingFor those who might not know, in addition to leading the Agencies (AOSCA)Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA), Im also the newFinal ThoughtsAOSCA president, and I see firsthand how important harmoni- Ive had mentors on the AOSCA board zation between countries isand how easily things can break good people like Billy Skaggs, Ken down when we lose focus, clarity, or trust. Stepping into thisBertsch, and Andy Altishinwho leadership role with AOSCA is a commitment to strengthen theshowed me what real leadership looks foundation weve built and ensure its ready for what comes next. like: steady, humble and clear-eyed. They AOSCA offers more than a century of collaboration, areminded me that leadership is about trusted international network of certifying agencies, and deepservice to a system bigger than any one technical expertise rooted in service. At its core is a shared com- person, agency or country. Thats the mitment to quality seed, consistent standards, and systems thatkind of leadership I hope to offer now. producers and markets can rely on. Whats at stake is bigger than certifica-But to move forward, we need to be honest about whatstion. Seed is the starting point for food holding us back. security, climate resilience, trade and stability. What we do, and how we work Consistency together, matters more than ever.AOSCA cant just be a label. Companies working across bor- Whether youre a seed grower in ders need certainty that certification programs deliver con- Manitoba, a breeder in Saskatchewan, or sistency. While we share a common set of standards, the waya seed analyst in Ontariolean in. Get certification programs are delivered can still vary from agencyinvolved. Dont just advocate for your to agency. That creates friction. If youre trying to bring newpatch of land. Advocate for the system genetics to market across multiple regions, you need confidencethat connects us all. Well all be better in the system. AOSCA must deliver it. off for it.Thats why were investing in inspector training and rolling out new digital tools to support greater alignment across agen- Doug Miller is executive director of cies. These efforts are about strengthening trust in the system,the Canadian Seed Growers Association no matter where you are. (CSGA) and the newly elected president of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Keeping Up Agencies (AOSCA). This column was We talk a lot about innovation, but are we moving fast enoughwritten from his perspective as AOSCA to keep pace? AOSCAs recent work developing standards forpresident and first appeared in Seed World hybrid wheat showed whats possible when we respond quicklyUnited States.to industry needs. That kind of agility needs to become stand-ard operating procedure. Heres the truth: if we lag behind, innovation will find another path. Seed certification needs to be a gateway to opportunity, not a bottleneck.34 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA NOVEMBER 2025'