b"National Seed Associations Weigh in on Challenges and Opportunities AheadWe reached out across LATAMs national seed associations, asking what they see as the biggest opportunities ahead for their associations, and what concerns them most in terms of the challenges standing in the way of those opportunities. Heres what we heard fromCompiled by staffRonaldo Troncha, Executive President,Mario Puente Raya, Executive Director, ABRASEM (Brazil) - Brazilian Seed andAMSAC (Mexico) - Mexican Seed Seedling Association Association OPPORTUNITY: OPPORTUNITY:Troncha: The most important opportunity for our association/ Puente: The opportunity is to continue being the reference in all region in the medium term is for the legislative bodies to pass theaspects related to seeds and to have an effective dialogue with new cultivar protection law. The protection of intellectual rightspolicymakers and regula chile productionchilebrazil brazilmexico tors who set the rules for themexicoover varieties is achieved by granting a variety protection cer- and trade of improved seeds. tificate. This certificate is considered a tangible asset for all legalWe seek to create the necessary conditionsboth regula-purposes and it is the only form of variety protection that cantory and in terms of infrastructure and capacityto take advan-prevent free access to plants (or their parts) for their reproduc- tage of new plant breeding techniques. Having this will enable tion or multiplication in the country. us to develop seeds with the best attributes for farmers to tackle Once protected, third parties are forbidden, during the termthe challenges of climate change. We aim for Mexico to harness of the protection, to commercially produce, offer for sale orplant breeding innovation to benefit its farmers.commercialize propagating material of the variety, without the authorization of the holder of the protection. CHALLENGE:In Brazil, varieties that meet the following criteria are eligiblePuente: The challenge is to ensure that the decisions are made for protection: the product must be a genetic improvement,based on science. If not, we risk missing the opportunity to har-must not have been commercialized abroad more for than fourness innovation to address the challenges facing agriculture in years (or for more than six years in the case of grapevines orterms of climate change, food security, and sustainable develop-trees), must not been commercialized in Brazil for more than 12ment in Mexico. peruperumonths; must be distinct, homogeneous and stable, and mustguatamala guatamalahave an appropriate denomination that identifies it. VenezuelaVenezuela Another point worth highlighting is the privileges that the law has kept. One of them is the farmer's privilege, of farm-saved seeds, which is to keep planting material for a farmers own use without him or her having to pay royalties to the owner of the protection. We seek to create the necessary CHALLENGE: conditionsboth regulatory and in Troncha: The biggest challenge in making this opportunityterms of infrastructure and capacitya reality is the time it takes to get through the two legislative houses in Brazil, the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal to take advantage of new plant Senate, and then the enactment of the law by the President of the Republic. breeding techniques.34/ SEEDWORLD.COMLATAMuruguay uruguay"