32 GERMINATION.CA MARCH 2019 organizers to highlight the wide range of industry players who have been impacted by updated PBR. Tour participants visited DuPont Pioneer in the U.S. before arriving in Saskatchewan. There, they heard from the CSTA, CSGA, CPTA and the SAA before visiting Limagrain’s research centre in Saskatoon. Parker says Canada’s ratification of UPOV ’91 has attracted an unprecedented level of foreign investment in the country, led by French cooperative Limagrain, which has formed Limagrain Cereals Research Canada as a joint venture with Canterra Seeds. “Limagrain hasn’t been shy about saying they wouldn’t have a footprint in Canada for breeding and research if it hadn’t been for UPOV ’91. The whole idea is that strengthening IP law increases opportunities for international companies to invest,” he says. Hyra echoes this sentiment. “The moment Canada signed onto UPOV ’91, there was a flurry of activity from companies around the world inter- ested in breeding in Canada. It’s a long-term play for them. They have to get the products through the registration system and have the performance to encourage uptake by growers. It’s a long-term investment.” But public and independent entities also benefit from improved IP protection over the long-term, Parker emphasizes. The tour stopped at the CDC to hear from researchers on how royalties on sales of certified seed can help support public breeding programs, and then at independent seed retailer Terry Ardell’s farm near Vanscoy, Sask. They also visited oat breeder Jim Dyck’s operation, which is very dependent on IP pro- tection, says Parker. “Quite often, the perception is that IP can only benefit large corporations. But here we’re seeing small breeders benefiting from IP protection,” he says. Stakeholder Involvement A key lesson for tour participants was the Partners in Innovation approach Canada took to address stakeholders at every level, according to Lorne Hadley, executive director of the CPTA. Alignment of stake- holders also meant align- ment of positive messaging around PBR. In Latin American countries, as in Canada, there are concerns that farmers will be disadvantaged by legislation protect- ing breeders. “We wanted to show that our system was cross-supporting. We’re not out to try to catch people, but to convince people to stay onside with the regulations and pay the breeder. CPTA’s role was to show that one of the ways of gaining acceptance for UPOV ’91 was putting to bed concerns about overzealous enforcement,” says Hadley. “We included all breeders — public, private, large and small — and respected the interests of producers and showed them we had a system of compliance that is fair.” Risso says it was useful for tour members who are linked to the parliamentary discussions happening in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico around updating seed laws to hear these success stories from their Canadian counterparts. But the most significant benefit of the visit, he says, was the opportunity to hear firsthand from those involved in the process — “to listen to each of the parties, identify the pros and cons [of adherence to the system], and to know the methodology of workshops and meetings, back and forth, in which all the actors raised their interests and [worked toward achieving] a common goal,” says Risso. WhencountriesinLatinAmericaadopted UPOV78/91: PANAMA (UPOV 91) — 2012 PERU (UPOV 91) — 2011 COSTA RICA (UPOV 91) — 2009 NICARAGUA (UPOV 78) — 2001 BRAZIL (UPOV 78) — 1999 BOLIVIA (UPOV 78) — 1999 ECUADOR (UPOV 78) — 1997 PARAGUAY (UPOV 78) — 1997 COLOMBIA (UPOV 78) — 1996 ARGENTINA (UPOV 78) — 1994 MEXICO (UPOV 78) — 1987 Source: https://www.upov.int/upovlex/en/notifications.jsp