b'Tour members Alejandro Hernandez, Translator; Diego Risso, Uruguay; Evandro Roman, Brazil; Luis Rangel, Brazil (standing on tractor); Alicia De Marcuard, Argentina; Joanne Ardell & Terry Ardell, Seed Grower; Mark Hermeling, U.S.; Anthony Parker, Canada; Marien Valstar, Netherlands; Peter Button, UPOV Office; Leobigildo Tellez, Mexico; Leontino Taveira, UPOV Office.CANADIAN PBRIS A MODEL FOR THE WORLDLatin America faces an ongoing struggle over plant breeders rights. Canadas Partners in Innovation approach offers one way forward. Julienne Issacs julienne.isaacs@gmail.comON A WARM CANADIANday in theOffice (USPTO), and the Ministry ofAccording to Risso, some Latin summer of 2018, seven people fromAgriculture, Nature, and Food Quality ofAmerican countries such as UruguayArgentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Mexicothe Netherlands. the first country in Latin America to ratify arrived in Saskatoon, Sask., to participateThe tour was an opportunity to show- UPOVhave incorporated articles or in a high-level study tour on plant varietycase the way the Canadian industry cameprovisions of UPOV 91. However, to fully protection for promoting investment intogether in 2015 to adopt the 1991 Act ofupdate seed law to UPOV 91 requires plant breeding. the International Union for the Protectionwhat he calls a good atmosphere to Organized by SeCan and the Plantof New Varieties of Plants (UPOV 91), 24reach a political will. Breeders Rights (PBR) office of theyears after becoming a UPOV member. Canada provides some great insights Canadian Food Inspection AgencyCanada is not so different from us inon how a process of this kind should take (CFIA), the tour was sponsored by athe sense of what the landscape looksplace, to reach a good ending, balancing long list of seed industry players inlike regarding plant breeding, productionall parties interests, he says.Canada: SeCan, Corteva Agriscience,and commercialization, says Diego Risso,Canadas path to full ratification is still Limagrain, Nutrien, the Canadianexecutive director of the Seed Associationfresh in the minds of industry players, and Seed Trade Association (CSTA), theof the Americas (SAA). Every stake- this was a key benefit of the tour, says Canadian Seed Growers Associationholder has its interests and the role of theTodd Hyra, western Canadian business (CSGA), the Canadian Plant Technologygovernment is to provide a good and fairmanager for SeCan. Canada recently Agency (CPTA) and the University ofregulatory framework and enforcementratified UPOV 91, so other countries are Saskatchewans Crop Developmentin order to meet everyones interests andlooking to our system, he says.Centre (CDC). business. According to Anthony Parker, com-But it was a truly global effort: theMost Latin American countries aremissioner of the PBR Office, fully ratify-tour was funded by the World Intellectualsignatories to UPOV 78, which providesing UPOV 91 was a long and difficult Property Organization, (WIPO), thefewer protections for plant breeders intel- process, but Canadas experience wasnt International Union for the Protectionlectual properties and fewer opportunitiesunique. The Latin American countries of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), theto collect royalties on new innovations,Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico signed United States Patent and Trademarkpresenting a threat to plant breeding. on to UPOV 78 much like Canada did 58/ SEEDWORLD.COMSEPTEMBER 2019'