72 GERMINATION.CA JANUARY 2019 SUPPORTED BY: ENDORSED BY: REMEMBER! How does Better Seed, Better Life benefit both the seed industry and consumers? The seed industry cannot effectively communicate about the issues it faces if consumers and those in and around regulatory bodies don’t already understand the seed industry and its vast importance. If the general public doesn’t have an adequate understanding of something and/or is afraid of a concept/ technology such as GMOs or gene editing, this can create pressure on regulators that results in unnecessary slowing down of scientific advancements and their application in relation to seed/crop improvements. For a Better Seed, Better Life video and information sheets visit seedinnovation.ca/better-seed-better-life/ HOWDOIENGAGE?WHATDOIFOCUSON? •  Listen to the other person to fully understand his or her point of view. • Address misconceptions with confidence. •  Discuss the fact that seed innovation has changed life as we know it, from food and the wide range of products made from today’s crops to the increased beautification of our surroundings, both personal and public. •  Share the positive impact seed innovation has had on you personally. For example, farmers in southern Ontario this year are sharing the immensely positive good news story that even with the drought, innovation in seed breeding and the use of techniques such as no-till crop management have enabled a very good harvest. If you need ideas, don’t hesitate to reach out to CSTA member engagement coordinator Kim Sabourin at ksabourin@seedinnovation.ca. focus concerns in a more informed manner. It benefits us all when everyone understands the fact that we have the safest, lowest-cost, lowest-risk and most nutritious food production system in human history, all being achieved with a reduced environmental footprint. TIP! How can people in and out of the seed industry get involved? Engage. Engage with co-workers, family, people you happen to meet. Speak to school classes and service clubs. Speak to the media. Don’t let inaccurate or negative remarks in person or online go by. Degree of public ignorance about the seed industry and the importance of seed innovation also has a direct impact on the ability of the seed industry to commu- nicate its rationale, the utmost importance it places on food and environmental safety and human health, and more. Consumers benefit from an increased understand- ing of seed because they are then enabled to perceive how their lives are intimately interconnected with seed innovation. This means they are able to understand that their quality of life would be vastly lower without seed advancements, in terms of not just the foods they eat but the many hundreds of products they use every day that are made from modern crops. The general public has become quite removed from food production, and a closer connection to food pro- duction (with various issues having been demystified) means that the public can make informed choices and