b'PART DISTRIBUTOR. PART DEVELOPER. ALL CANADIAN.Public or private? As it gears up to mark its 50th anniversary, SeCan thrives bybridging the two worlds.Marc Zienkiewicz, Seed World Senior EditorA HALF-CENTURY AGO, a group of publicpressure. AAFC has signaled its intent plant breeders and institutions cameto exit variety finishing, leaving the together to solve a problem: how to getsystem reliant on partners like SeCan Canadian genetics into farmers handsto keep the pipeline flowing.quickly and equitably. That collaborationWeve become much more than a became SeCan, which is getting ready todistributor, Reid says. Were a partner mark its 50 thanniversary in 2026. in making sure Canadian germplasm Since then, technologies have comeremains Canadian.and gone, markets have boomed and busted, and the politics of food haveSupporting Innovationbecome inseparable from the politics ofFor Matt Hooyer, who in 2024 joined trade and national security. But throughSeCan as its Eastern product develop-it all, SeCan has grown into a uniquelyment lead after a 13-year career at Canadian institutionpart distributor,Syngenta, the contrast between private part funder, part bridge between publicand public breeding couldnt be clearer.science and private enterprise. Its exciting to step into SeCan as it When SeCan was formed, it was byturns 50, Hooyer says. The resources public breeding institutions, for publicare tremendousthe breeders, the breeding institutions, says Jeff Reid,Matt Hooyer spent 13 years in breeding andinstitutions, the network. What I love product development for Syngenta, before he SeCans longtime general manager.became SeCans Eastern product developmentis the speed. If we hear something from Today, its by independent seedcom- lead. a member company, we can act on that panies, for independent seed companies.immediately. That agility just doesnt That evolution has been key to ourFrom Distribution to Development exist the same way in a multinational.survivaland our strength. In 2013, SeCan changed its mandatePrivate-sector breeding is powerful With nearly 600 members, SeCan from simply distributing genetics tobut often focused on different priori-isnt just moving seed. Its movingactively facilitating their development,ties, he explains. ideas, partnerships, and leverage. AndReid says. Since then, weve doubled ourPrivate programs think in quarters as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canadaannual R&D spend. And weve becomeand often lack the long term commit-(AAFC) plans to pare back its role inmore hands-on: helping with winter mul- ment required. At SeCan, the vision developing field-ready cultivars, SeCanstiplications, running trials, and in somehas been consistentlong term stable function has never been more urgent. cases, acting as an industry spokesper- support of innovation. Thats what What could be more critical toson for public breeding at a time whenmakes it unique.national security than your food supply?governments need to hear that message Reid asks. That all comes back to con- most. Watching Genetics Evolvetrolling your own genetics. That expanded mandate mat- Few people have had a closer vantage ters, because public breeding is underpoint on SeCans evolution than its 4 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA NOVEMBER 2025'