At the end of February we were in the final stretch of a series of regional workshops hosted by the Seed Synergy Collaboration Project partners. Thank you to everyone who came out and provided input on the proposal for a Next Generation Seed System at these workshops in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Guelph, Drummondville and Charlottetown!  Seed growers are central to the whole seed industry value chain and your input was paramount to the success of this initiative.

If you were unable to attend an in-person workshop, please share your ideas on what the Next Generation Seed System should be by participating in the online survey.  This is the last call as the online survey closes March 31st.

In advance of sharing your views, we invite you to read the Green Paper  and the Executive Summary written by the Seed Synergy Collaboration Project.  It lays out the framework for how the Project will develop a shared vision that can serve as a starting point for industry and government to begin to work together to enact real change, in order to build an industry-led, government-enabled seed system that drives innovation and growth throughout the value chain, and which has direct benefits for seed professionals. CSGA has been working on the Seed Synergy Collaboration Project over the past year with its partners at the Canadian Seed Trade Association, the Canadian Seed Institute, the Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada, the Canadian Plant Technology Agency, and CropLife Canada.

Where Do We Grow From Here? Seed Synergy Green Paper

November 30, 2017

As communicated in previous issues of Seed Scoop and Seed to Succeed, CSGA has been working over the past year with its partners at the Canadian Seed Trade Association, the Canadian Seed Institute, the Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada, the Canadian Plant Technology Agency, and CropLife Canada on the Seed Synergy Collaboration Project.

The goal of the Seed Synergy Collaboration is to develop and articulate a broadly supported vision for the next generation seed system. It is hoped that this vision can serve as a starting point for industry and government to begin to work together to enact real change, in order to build an industry-led, government-enabled seed system that drives innovation and growth throughout the value chain, and which has direct benefits for seed professionals.

Working together, and informed by feedback received through consultations that took place over the course of 2017 to date, the project team has put forward a comprehensive first draft: the Seed Synergy Green Paper. This document will, we hope, be the first step toward building a seed system that works better for you in the future.

Now we need to hear what you think.

We invite you to read the Green Paper  and the Executive Summary.  We will be convening regional workshops this winter to provide more opportunity for discussion and comment. An invitation letter has been distributed by the Project with all the key dates for these engagements in 6 provinces. We look forward to your comments.

To participate in one of these workshops, please register for the workshop date & location of your choice at the following website https://www.seedsynergy.net/engage-in-person/. Please register early, as places are limited. Registration will typically close 15 days before the event date.

In the mean time, we hope you have an opportunity to read the Green Paper and develop your own ideas about what the Next Generation Seed System should be. A simple online forum has also been launched for any additional feedback over at the Seed Synergy Collaboration website. To share your comments directly with CSGA, please write to us at seedtalk@seedgrowers.ca. We look forward to discussing these ideas with you!