b'tems, service offerings, and regulations to be more agile and responsive.THE POWER OF DIGITAL CROP CERTIFICATESHe says CSGA is taking a holistic view to seed certificationone that is digitally enabled. Looking at the current seed certification system,According to Doug Miller, executive director for the Canadian Seed delivery and user experience is fragmented. TheGrowers Association, digital crop certificates will bring a number of need for a single window for seed regulatory ser- benefits to seed growers including:vices is apparent. We feel that SeedCert 2.0 provides Receiving crop certificates fastera strong foundation for a seed sector single window and provides a cost-effective, secure solution movingCreating a secure and integrated storage system for crop certificate-forward. related documentation (e.g., pedigreed seed declarations, purity, and The digital seed crop certificate replaces thegermination reports) allowing for better usability and accessibilityhardcopy-based certificate and provides a foundationAugmented security and integrity of CSGAs crop certificate through for future growth and opportunities, Miller says.encryption and online verificationThe digital certificate is the next step in creating a digital, end-to-end, streamlined certification process.Increased business continuity in the event of a postal disruption or Our initial feedback from users is that it is easy to useother service disruption (such as the COVID-19 pandemic impacts)and has the potential to significantly reduce adminis- Ease of future integrations into the existing supply chaintrative burden for both producers and companies.As CSGA looks beyond the digital certificate, Miller says the organization is working to provide members with new services such as voluntary digital seed grad-ing reports and pedigreed seed declarationsall integrated with the digital crop certificate. Weve heard our members loud and clear; they want more digital services from CSGAespecially asand the respective roles of government and industry, Scheffel says.it relates to the next link in the chain. Several of ourAs we move ahead, well need to have a detailed discussion as an members are investing in data management systemsindustry and with government as to which bodies will be responsible and we know these new services will have an imme- for certain aspects of the seed regulatory landscape.diate return on investment for our members and newScheffel points to seed quality standards as an example. Currently, players as our ecosystem expands.Canadas requirements for pedigreed seed production are laid out in Circular 6. The CSGA has a Regulatory Services Committee (RSC) that The Road to Regulatory Modernization meets twice or more each year to review and recommend changes to The vision, Miller says, is to bring informationCircular 6. The RSC includes seed growers, seed trade, seed analysts, together in new packages that, to this point, haventprovincial government representatives and the CFIA. Several years ago, been possible because of the inability to integratecrop-specific working groups, with similarly diverse makeup, were data sources. established to review and propose changes to the RSC.Although CSGAs modernization initiatives areCSGA holds the pen on Circular 6. Were responsible for maintaining separate from CFIAs seed regulation modernization,it, making changes to it, and for implementing the requirements that are there are overlaps. Seeing as CSGA modernizationset out in that document, but we do so in cooperation with stakehold-initiatives will serve to benefit the seed regulatoryers, Scheffel adds. system as a whole, CSGAs managing director ofIf it were decided that the grade tables, for example, should be policy and standards Mike Scheffel says the SeedCertincorporated by reference to get them out of the regulations and into 2.0 system and other improvements CSGA is makinganother document so they could be more easily amended or changed, to its systems could help aid discussions surroundingthrough regulatory modernization discussions we can decide if thats a regulatory modernization. document that would then continue to be maintained and managed by With the regulatory modernization discussions,the CFIA, or if its the kind of document that could be handed over to were not just talking about the Seeds Regulationsa seed industry body, and the CSGA would be an obvious choice as we themselves. Well be talking about who does whatalready have the systems in place to manage the process of change. INTERNATIONAL EDITION 2021GERMINATION.CA 7'