Seed industry applauds focus on innovation, easing of regulations

SASKATOON — Canada’s red tape scissors are garnering attention in the global seed sector.

Madeleine Baerg, general manager and executive vice-president of operations at Seed World, said Canada’s regulatory environment has traditionally been viewed as slow-moving and complex.

“What’s really interesting right now is that we’re seeing quite a shift in tone and intent across Canada,” she said during a panel discussion at the World Seed Congress in Lisbon, Portugal.

“(There is) growing momentum from both the government side and industry side to make it easier and faster for seed innovation to move from market entry to commercial access.”

Baerg said the attitude of the federal government appears to have shifted from, “can we regulate this?” to “how fast can we enable it?”

Dan Wright, chief executive officer of Seeds Canada, agrees that there has undoubtedly been a shift in approach out of Ottawa from the prime minister down through the bureaucracy.

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Red tape is slowly being slashed.

“I’ve never in my 25 years in the (seed) business seen the drive and the alignment in the government to have those conversations,” he said.

Greg MacDonald, agriculture counsellor at the Mission of Canada to the European Union, said Canada’s guiding principle remains a science and risk-based approach to setting regulations.

However, he acknowledged there is a push within government to transition to a more innovation-friendly regulatory environment.

A prime example is how Canada recently updated its guidance for products of gene editing. The government decided to regulate based on product characteristics rather than the technology involved.

MacDonald said that puts Canada into better alignment with other international jurisdictions.

Even one of the harshest critics of Canada’s historically excessive regulation is now praising the government.

Gunter Jochum, president of the Wheat Growers Association, said they are “finally starting to see real movement” from Ottawa on a number of fronts, including regulation.

“Discussions around Bill C-273 and broader federal reforms are helping shift the conversation toward faster approvals, reduced duplication and creating an environment that attracts investment instead of driving it away,” he said in the group’s May newsletter.

He said the government finally appears to be listening to farm organizations such as his.

“There is still work to do, but for the first time in a long time, it feels like Canada may finally be starting to move in the right direction,” said Jochum.

MacDonald said the government’s new approach has been driven by the “seismic shift in geopolitics” that has occurred over the last year and the need to diversify and bolster the Canadian economy.

“We understand the importance of innovation, not only for the competitiveness of our sector, but also for food security, sustainability and adapting to climate change,” he said.

Baerg asked her fellow panelists what their pitch would be for enticing some of the seed company executives listening to the presentation into setting up a production facility in Canada.

Wright said Canada has more than 3,000 seed growers and more than 500 independent processors. There are seed analysts and breeders working at some of the best academic and public breeding systems in the world who are willing to collaborate.

Canadian farmers are not afraid to embrace new technologies, as evidenced by the widespread adoption of crops such as canola, pulses and soybeans in Western Canada, said Wright.

MacDonald added that Canada has a stable political and economic environment for investment, the world’s most educated workforce and abundant natural resources.

He said Canada has free trade agreements with 51 countries, providing privileged access to 1.5 billion consumers around the world.

There is a large agricultural land base, a favourable tax environment for investment, an innovation ecosystem, an enabling regulatory framework and a government that has made investment a key priority.

“We see it as a driver of economic resiliency and growth for Canada,” said MacDonald.

However, Baerg said Canada’s recent research station closures and other research funding cuts are raising eyebrows in agriculture circles.

Wright said that is a big concern in the seed industry, especially if the cuts are going to affect sensitive areas such as seed multiplication, which, he added, would cause irreparable harm.

Those are some of the questions the seed sector has for government.

“We’re in that uneasy area where they don’t have the answers,” he said.

“We all want the answers now.”

MacDonald said Agriculture Canada will still be the largest science provider in the country.

At any given moment, government researchers are working on 600 to 900 agriculture research projects, two-thirds of which are conducted in conjunction with academics and industry, he said.