b'I work with 10 or more breeding companies at manygiant biographieslevels of importance to wheat breeding, and theyre look-ing to invest in Canadian wheat. We do need a value creation mechanism. For me its a matter of what happensKOFI AGBLOR is the former if we dont go ahead with it, as opposed to whether ormanaging director of the Crop not we should, she says. Development Centre at the Im hopeful we will implement something, but its a guarded optimism. There are still lots of questions outUniversity of Saskatchewan. there from growers and producers. Born and raised in a farming community in Ghana, Agblor Circle of Trust and his family moved to As 2020 begins, the Seed Synergy project begins to rampCanada in 1988.up. The CSTA intends to vote on a consolidation proposal in July. The CSGA is working toward the same timeline but passed a resolution at its 2019 interprovincial meetingDAN CURTIS is past-to extend the ratification timeline to 2021 if needed. president of the Ontario Seed Dan Curtis, past-president of the Ontario Seed GrowersGrowers Association and Association, says the biggest problem standing in the wayco-owner of Curtis Seeds in of progress is a lack of trust within the industry. St. Thomas, Ont.I think members of CSGA see some of the other asso-ciationsespecially CSTAas large all-encompassingDAVID HARWOOD is multinationals with more money and more power. What most dont realize is CSTA is run as an ultimate democ- technical services manager racy with one member-one vote. Large companies dontfor Corteva Agriscience. He have more voting power, Curtis says.spent two decades as a CSGA members need to understand we are the gorillaresearcher before entering in the room with more members. As much as we fear thethe business development other organizations, they have as much to fear from us,world at DuPont Pioneer, and I think more so. That fear ultimately breeds mistrust. which in 2019 became The CSGAs numbers officially show 3,500 membersCorteva Agriscience, a spinoff according to its most recent annual report. CSTA member- company resulting from the ship stands at just over 130. merger of Dow and DuPont.For this to work, we need to trust the other people involved. Showing them you dont trust them, thats a bad way to go into any negotiation. At some point we needMICHAEL KANTAR is to realize that we do need to move forward with thischair of the Plant Breeding and we need to do it in good faith and realize the otherCoordinating Committee organizations have no hidden motives and neither shouldand a former postdoc at the we. Most would argue CSGA doesnt, and I see no reasonUniversity of British Columbia. to think otherwise, but we need to move forward withHe is currently an assistant trust, Curtis adds. professor at the University of He sees the trust issue being borne largely from the fact that eastern Canadian seed growers have been dealingHawaii at Manoa.with larger companies for longer than growers out West. There are more contract growers in the East. In theELLEN SPARRY is general West I see many more independent seed growers andmanager of C&M Seeds processors and they havent dealt with the change webased in Palmerston, Ont. have in the East, and they see the multinationals as tryingShe serves as chair of to eliminate smaller seed growers. What they dont realize is no matter what happens, these large companies willthe Canadian Seed Trade always require seed growers. That will never change.Associations International Everyone involved has good motives and its not aboutCommittee and is a CSGA anyone taking over. Its about working together.Honorary Life Award recipient.JANUARY 2020 GERMINATION.CA 7'