Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Page 128 Page 129 Page 130 Page 131 Page 132 Page 133 Page 134 Page 135 Page 136 Page 137 Page 138 Page 139 Page 140 Page 141 Page 142 Page 143 Page 144 Page 145 Page 146 Page 147 Page 148100 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2016 FROM SMALL BEGINNINGS in 2005, and big ambitions, the Seed Association of the Americas has made monumental strides in serving as “the leading authority and representing with a unified voice” the seed industry throughout the Americas. The man responsible for many of those giant strides is Diego Risso, who joined SAA as executive director in 2009. But he’s quick to credit SAA members and staff who have put in countless hours to benefit the industry as a whole. “We have based our unique strategy on working together with policymakers, regulators and national and international seed associations,” Risso says, noting that it takes time and patience to bring the right voices around the table and be able to collectively discuss issues of importance — not to mention moving toward policies, positions or implementation. With steadfast support and a clear vision, SAA and its 21 members (including ordinary, associate and affiliate members) are finally seeing the fruits of their labor in the areas biotechnol- ogy, intellectual property, phytosanitary and seed treatment. Work in each of these key areas is supported by a working group, and the name “working group” is an accurate description as con- ference calls can be lengthy, position papers are scrutinized, and consensus doesn’t always come easy. Arguably one of the most important conversations happening throughout the international seed industry is plant breeding innovation and the use of new breeding techniques, shares Juan Kiekebusch, SAA senior adviser on biotechnology. “This whole year has been centered around plant breeding innovations and discussions happening around the world, including in the Americas,” he says. “SAA is fully aligned with the International Seed Federation’s Plant Breeding Innovation Working Group and CropLife International.” New Innovations and Archaic Laws To-date, Kiekebusch explains that only Argentina has regulations written and signed by the government. “The regulation is very clear in its definitions, and non-trans- genic products can be excluded from regulation,” he says. “The caveat is that companies, before making a big investment in research projects, should make an appointment to consult with the national biosafety commission, which then makes the deter- mination if it’s GMO or not. “Not all countries agree with this approach, but it is one approach that sets a pathway, and it’s aligned with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.” From phytosanitary issues to intellectual property and from seed treatments to biotechnology, the Seed Association of the Americas is hard at work to protect the interests of the seed industry and facilitate the international movement of seed. Julie Deering SAA MAKES MONUMENTAL STRIDES Paula Bey, Dow AgroSciences, vice chair of SAA’s Seed Treatment Working Group Juan Kiekebusch, SAA senior adviser on biotechnology In moving forward, the goal is to adopt a set of consistent cri- teria for how a product should be evaluated, and thus regulated. ISF, through its working group, developed a document outlining such criteria. “If we can get the scientific community together to agree on a set of parameters, then we can build a path minimizing political and ‘off science’ disruptions when we approach regulators and policymakers,” Kiekebusch says. That’s why in mid-November, SAA hosted a meeting with academic representatives from the United States, Mexico, Paraguay, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Chile and Brazil to discuss concepts for consistent criteria when it comes to how, and if, these new innovations should be regulated. These new plant breeding techniques in combination with biotechnology are seen as part of the solution to helping farmers increase crop yields and better manage disease, pest and abiotic pressures in a sustainable manner. However, a concern often expressed by countries is that of low-level presence. This year, SAA worked with the International Life Sciences Institute to develop a set of tools for national seed associations to use on LLP cases and discuss with their respective authori- ties. This was presented during ISF’s 2016 World Seed Congress in Uruguay, distributed to all the national seed associations and presented in a South American regional workshop with authori- ties. Kiekebusch says efforts such as these will continue with the goal of getting countries to recognize that legal certainties are needed for LLP management.