6 GERMINATION.CA JANUARY 2018 it will operate with moving forward are going to determine its success in getting through to consumers and influencing its own destiny. “When I came into this sphere, the things that were a given — like we all care about plant breeding, that we believe it’s the path to the future, that we believe people should win the Nobel Prize for being great breeders — isn’t there in the same way anymore. There’s a lack of focus about what to do next.” She sees huge potential in initia- tives like the Seed Synergy Collaboration Project, designed to forge a next-generation seed system for the country. “It’s really the right time for the seed sector to think about fresh ways of doing business, to align itself more tightly to create more synergy between its organi- zations, and find ways to work together really well.” Understanding Values Dave Carey, the Canadian Seed Trade Association’s new executive director, has firsthand insight into how having an urban background can colour one’s opinions about agriculture. He grew up just outside Toronto. “You have to [know how to] communi- cate with people who are casting ballots and making decision on behalf of the ag industry, [and do it] in a way that they understand,” he says. How can one properly communicate with an urban audience? “Break it down, don’t use the acronyms or get super-technical, and understand the values they have,” Carey says. Understanding the values of others is something Julia Harnal has made a priority. As marketing manager crop protection for BASF Canada, Harnal and the BASF team have made it part of their mission to “capture the hearts and minds” of their grower customers and others. This involves a valuable new way of looking at marketing, she says — one that throws out the old model of “selling” in favour of building trust. “You can write books about going from push to pull,” she says. “We work with customers for more than one generation in many cases. For us it comes natural to build that trustworthy relationship over the long term. There’s been a major mind shift in terms of our marketing strategy.” Shifting the Paradigm That paradigm shift that Harnal says BASF has gone through is a shift that the Canadian seed sector as a whole is in the midst of making. The Seed Synergy Collaboration Project kicked into high gear in 2017. Runnalls has seen the process play out firsthand and has witnessed how change hap- pens from the ground up and can literally change the (seed) world. As president of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), Runnalls is playing a major leadership role in championing the mod- ernization of the industry through a number of initiatives. While Seed Synergy is a focal point of CSGA’s new strategic plan, there are other major complementary projects underway that are designed to move the organization forward and ensure that its members receive the support that they require to succeed in a changing world. These include three implementation priorities: modernizing the Canadian Regulations and Procedures for Pedigreed Seed Crop Production manual; developing a “single-window” seed certification system; and enhancing educational and professional development sup- port for CSGA members — all of it designed to fundamentally change the way CSGA works. An Ontario seed grower, Runnalls knows old habits are hard to break and change never comes easy, but says he’s encouraged by what he’s seen over the past number of months from his fellow CSGA members and industry stakeholders in general as the sector works to forge a new future for itself and change old paradigms it’s operated under for decades. Right now, the Canadian seed sector is made up of six separate associations. A proposal put forward in the newly released Seed Synergy green paper calls for changes to the organizational structure of the indus- try, and recommends it be anchored by a central organization or net- work of organizations working through a new public-private partnership arrangement. According to Runnalls, a more unified seed sector would make it easier to communicate with government, seize new opportunities as they come while dealing better with challenges when they arise. “We need one message and one message only,” Runnalls says, adding that the industry’s attempt to function better has helped people to put differences aside and realize they all share a common interest — advanc- ing the Canadian seed sector. “It’s not about seed growers or the seed trade. You have to look at it as an industry stakeholder and know you’re creating something better.” —with files from Julie Deering “IT’SNOTJUSTABOUTSEED GROWERSORTHESEEDTRADE.YOU HAVETOLOOKATITASANINDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERANDKNOWYOU’RE CREATINGSOMETHINGBETTER.” –KevinRunnalls