14 THE CAAR COMMUNICATOR The challenge here is that growers might not yet fully comprehend the remarkable benefits that genetics can bring to their crops, making education crucial, as Tomlinson suggested. Taking responsibility and ready to do something about it, seed industry stakeholders will begin an informational campaign in 2024 to bring awareness to the need for greater certified seed adoption. Seed Regulatory Modernization Next Phase The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently released its much-anticipated Seed Regulatory Modernization (SRM) “What We Heard.” The report reveals the results of its SRM pre-consultation survey. The report summarizes the stakeholder feedback on the SRM Task Team’s recommendations in several key areas. The overall result of the SRM process is to create a seed system that meets the needs of modern and future generations. The report is detailed but provides a summary of something very relevant to retailers: the question of whether or not Canada should continue to have a variety registration system. The CFIA’s Variety Registration Office (VRO) registers varieties of most crops in Canada. According to the report, there was strong support for our variety registration system. Survey respondents said: • Variety registration creates a high level of trust, as the quality of traits is consistent in the seeds and crops grown in Canada. This equips farmers to decide what they grow while maintaining end-user confidence for products to be compet- itive in the market. • There are marketing, branding, and reputational benefits to using registered seed varieties in Canada’s grain variety registration and classifica- tion system. • The variety registration system should be made available to those crops and value chains that see value in this process, allowing them to de- cide on participation or placement within a national variety registration system. During the winter of 2023–24, the CFIA plans to hold its second SRM consultation. The first consultation covered three task teams: variety registration; seed standards and grade tables; and seed certification. With the upcoming consultation, attention will shift to the remaining task team recommendations and working group suggestions. The topics for discussion will include common seed, testing, and the import and export of seed. According to Wendy Jahn, the National Manager for the CFIA Seed Section, once this consultation is complete and the CFIA has conducted its analysis, it will have a clearer sense of direction. “In 2024, we intend to release a policy paper outlining our findings. We’re keen on obtaining input on this paper, and we’re exploring the possibility of a cross-country tour. The idea is to visit different provinces, bring stakeholders together, and engage in discussions. So, before reaching a final decision, there will be several opportunities for input and discussion,” she explained. CFIA Offers Pre-Market Assessment Guidance In 2024, the federal government will complete its new guidance on how quickly new seed products that utilize gene editing techniques can be brought to market. The CFIA recently issued its draft guidance document titled “Determining the Need for Pre-Market Assessment for Plant-Derived Ingredients.” The document is designed to offer transparency concerning the circumstances in which plant-derived ingredients necessitate a pre-market assessment as outlined in the Feeds Regulations. The CFIA said that it is also seeking to provide detailed insights into the defining attributes of plants that may lead to classifying an ingredient as novel in the context of livestock feed. The move is the third step in revamping Canada’s regulatory landscape, as it concerns the CFIA’s Plants with Novel Traits (PNT) regulations. The first two pieces of the puzzle were the CFIA’s reviews of its PNT guidelines regarding the environment and food. The CFIA has already released guidance on those areas, but policymakers and others in the industry have been waiting for public consultation regarding animal feed. Ian Affleck, the Vice-President of Plant Biotechnology for CropLife Canada, said in May 2023 that guidance on pre-market assessment for plant ingredients in animal feed is needed to help researchers move forward in using modern plant breeding technologies like gene editing to create powerful new technologies faster. Seed products developed using gene editing that are not considered novel would be equivalent to their SEEDS 2024
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