JANUARY 2019 GERMINATION.CA 17 Terry McIntee President, Canadian Seed Institute On the concept of the next-gen seed organization: “CSI was a synergy model before Seed Synergy was ever discussed. Our board didn’t have to spend a huge amount of time thinking about or discussing the White Paper itself. We focused on the underlying policy which we’ve believed in for a long time. It’s nothing radically new — it’s simply an evolution of what’s been going on in this industry for years.” On modernizing our regulatory framework: “The time has come for us to go to the next stage. We need to sit down and take action. It’s no longer just an idea or opportunity, it’s our responsibility, really. We owe it to our members to do this. The system is not broken, and it’s difficult to contemplate change when it’s not broken. But as time goes on we’ll fall further and further behind in the global marketplace if we don’t modernize through Seed Synergy and regulatory modernization. The timing is perfect.” Unfamiliar with Seed Synergy? Visit germination.ca and search “Seed Synergy” for a wealth of information about the project and what it’s designed to do! Paul Glover President, Canadian Food Inspection Agency On creating a more efficient and effective seed industry organizational model: “How you organize yourselves is up to you. I can tell you as someone that deals with food safety issues, an organized, clear, consistent message goes a long way. A very long way. The ability to speak with clarity, with one voice, so there’s alignment, makes a difference. Every time we open up a regulation, every time we change a policy, if there’s an alignment, it’s easy for me to explain to the government what the industry’s stance is. When there are many voices going in different directions, what do I do with that?” On delivering seed certification services under a modernized seed regulatory framework: “We have to make choices together when it comes to expanding into new markets. Which markets do we aim for, and why? There are many competing nations selling similar products into the same markets. The benefit of consolidation is clarity of purpose and priorities. That creates alignment and makes it easier for us to work with you and understand and respond to your priorities. Consensus and alignment will go a long way to allowing us to accelerate the pace of change moving forward.”