Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 6812 SeCan now has the top varieties in Canadian Western Red Spring, Canadian Prairie Spring, durum, flax, malt barley, oats and soybeans. “A lot of companies are vertically integrated and they do everything from germplasm development right through to final sales to the farmer,” Reid says. “In our case we look to the future and say, ‘where are our strengths and what do our partners need?’ “We see our role as being one to help finish products, shep- herd them through testing and registration, get breeder seed multiplied and into the hands of the most effective seed grow- ers right across Canada.” Challenges Ahead While there is indeed strength in numbers, there are chal- lenges as well. Perhaps one of the biggest ones to take place in 2016 was Brexit, which saw the United Kingdom vote to leave the European Union. The U.K. has yet to formally leave the EU, but according to Von Essen, the conversation is just beginning as to how to protect the European seed industry as the Brexit process goes on. “There is no blueprint for this kind of discussion. We hope in the end common sense will prevail, and people will see the value of our current seed regulatory system,” he says. Another area where common sense is needed is with the use of neonicotinoids. In 2013, Europe put restrictions in place for two years limiting the use of neonicotinoids while new data was investigated, says Syngenta’s Nel. “This has not been changed; it’s now 2016,” she says. “There’s only been one change and it’s been for the worse. Now the French will ban the use of neonics across all crops and for all uses in 2018 … While it’s bad for us to lose one of the most modern tools, it’s worse for the growers.” Nel shares that Syngenta interviewed more than 600 grow- ers and their advisers about their crop production since the restrictions were put in place. “They are saying they have 50 per cent more sprays,” Nel says, noting that they have increased spraying and increased costs but lower yields. As a result, growers are planting fewer acres to oilseed rape. Canada faces its own regulatory hurdles. The federal govern- ment has signalled to the seed industry that it plans to review the country’s seed legislation, which according to Chancey is what prompted the Seed Synergy project in the first place. At this point, the results are anyone’s guess. “The uncertainty that’s been created by that has left many seed growers wondering whether the world they know is up for discussion and potentially subject to change,” Chancey says. “The fact we’re now collectively as an industry talking about what that future might look like has got [the federal government’s] attention.” Chancey adds that the Seed Synergy exercise could expand to include the entire value chain, and ultimately help the industry gain the social license needed to ensure a robust future for itself at a time when consumers have access to more information — and also misinformation — than ever. Reid agrees, and sees the Seed Synergy project as a positive one that once again provides strength in numbers; despite the fact SeCan isn’t directly involved. “It’s good to take a step back and ask, ‘Who are we and what are we trying to accomplish?’ For example, I think many of us thought we’d be past this whole GMO discussion by now, and clearly we’re not,” he says. “Everyone in this industry needs to get out in front of the public and work to be good stewards and do the right thing in terms of environmental sustainability and safe and affordable food.” Armstrong is encouraged by the Seed Synergy project. “I think it’s great that those six organizations are sitting down together and having conversations,” she says. “They are sitting down with a blank sheet of paper and asking ‘where do we want to be and how do we get from where we are to there? What needs to be done and who should be doing what?’” This, Armstrong says, will help the industry speak with a consistent voice — not necessarily one voice, but a consistent one so as not to confuse. “This will help to avoid any overlap and discover any gaps,” she adds, as there is certainly no shortage of issues or things to be done. Julie Deering and Marc Zienkiewicz “There is no blueprint for this kind of discussion. We hope in the end common sense will prevail, and people will see the value of our current seed regulatory system.” — Garlich Von Essen