CSGA 2018 AGM Celebrating Synergy synergy [sin-er-jee] noun T he above word pretty much sums up our 2018 annual general meeting, which took place from July 10-12, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec. Not only were attendees and their families excited to come together (as they always are when attending our annual meetings), but in terms of the information sessions held and what was presented, a picture was painted of an association and industry that can’t wait to learn from one another and to see what the future has in store for it. exploratory stages, response was very positive in regard to exploring the idea further and discussions will continue. The Seed Synergy session was but one informative presentation attendees had the pleasure of engaging in. Doug Miller, CSGA’s managing director of certification and technology services, gave a talk on further modernizing how CSGA members do business. He asked members to think big and introduced blockchain technology as a possible tool to use as we move into the future (see page 16). As you know, CSGA has already revamped its old paper-based processes into digital ones, and Miller highlighted how these changes will only progress as CSGA modernizes itself. Rounding out the presentations was a talk and panel discussion called How Does Canada Compare? It highlighted differences in Canada’s seed system to those of other countries. John Groenewegen of the JRG Consulting Group, who authored a report called Canada’s Seed System: Economic Impact Assessment and Risk Analysis for the Seed Synergy partners, noted that the seed sector is key to continued productivity improvements in the Canadian agriculture and food sectors. Commercialization of new varieties that improve yields, offer disease resistance, provide attributes required by buyers of grains and oilseeds, and which improve per acre profit margins are required to enable continued competitiveness of the agriculture sector in domestic and export markets. The Advisory Council on Economic Growth is calling for an increase in agriculture and food exports, signalling out oilseed exports to increase by 20 per cent and for pulses to capture 50 per cent of global exports. The seed sector can continue to create such value which benefits the Canadian economy. However, changes are required to enable such value creation by product developers in the seed Sector, Groenewegen said. Value creation is a major focus of Seed Synergy and there was much discussion of this in Montreal as well (see page 18). As always, we handed out a number of awards during our annual awards gala held July 13 and sponsored by the CDC. Awarded this year were Daniel Lanoie and Marc Bercier, who both received the Robertson Associate Award. Receiving the Honorary Life Award this year were Ellen Sparry, Dave Akister and Cécile Tétreault. The awards gala was a great end to a series of social events that began with our Opening Dinner at Wienstein and Gavinos sponsored by GlacierFarmMedia, and our Family Fun Night barbecue at Ambroisie sponsored by SeCan. Finally, our new board of directors was introduced. Taking the helm as president is New Brunswick’s Jonathan Nyborg. According to Jonathan, being a good listener is the hallmark of a good president. “If I can build off what CSGA, the industry and my predecessors have accomplished, that will certainly add to my time as president. I’m excited to have the chance to help members strengthen their connection with other stakeholders in the industry and value chain as we explore what a next-generation seed system is going to look like in Canada,” he says. Last but certainly not least, catching up with our fellow Seed Synergy partners was a huge highlight of the week. In addition to the CSTA, members of CSI, CSAAC, CPTA and CropLife Canada were also present and a plethora of great discussions were had. Consider this a formal invitation to join us next year in Whistler, B.C., for our 2019 AGM! More information is coming soon — watch seedgrowers.ca in the coming months for that. the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual parts A highlight this year was a Seed Synergy session jointly hosted with the Canadian Seed Trade Association (see page 14). The session, held the morning of July 11, provided a greatly anticipated update on a major project designed to forge a next-generation seed system for our country. Facilitated by Warren Wilson of the Intersol Group, the session focused heavily on four distinct areas of our seed system the Seed Synergy project is focused on reforming: • Customer Service • Enabling Plant Breeding Innovation • Stimulating Innovation and Value Creation • Next-Generation Traceability/Seed Certification Also highlighted at this session was the fact that our five dedicated seed associations — CSGA, CSTA, Canadian Seed Institute, Canadian Plant Technology Agency, and the Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada — are exploring the idea of merging. If it comes to fruition, this new seeds organization would have a formal partnership with CropLife Canada to advance the interests of the Canadian seed sector. The intent is to create a streamlined model for information management, advocacy, service provision and provide greater value for the industry’s collective members, and — most importantly — to amplify the impact of the various complementary functions within the Synergy organizations. Although no decision has been made in regard to this and it is simply in the Front Row: Chami Amarasinghe, Bryan Harvey, Jonathan Nyborg, Joe Rennick, Dale Connell, Kevin Runnalls, Glyn Chancey Middle Row: David MacKellar, Peter Boswall, Dave Wuthrich, Laurie Wakefield, Ryan Murray, Eric McLean, Hugh Berges Back Row: André Lussier, Peter Scott, Glenn Logan, Martin Provencher, Richard Stamp, Mark MacNaughton, Steve Hamill Regrets: Jim Baillie, Mitchell Japp, Djiby Sall and Steven Tattrie