Seed Regulatory Modernization

As a Canadian farmer you have always operated within the current seed regulatory framework – it is our “normal” and it provides a strong foundation for our food system. Canada’s long-standing seed regulatory system was designed to:

• Protect farmers from unscrupulous seed dealers, and from fraud and misrepresentation within the seed system
• Establish standards for germination and purity, and prevent proliferation of noxious weeds and crop diseases through seed grade tables
• Regulate imported seed
• Provide a trustworthy mechanism to supply new varieties to farmers via pedigreed seed production and certification
• Build, maintain, and protect the value of Canadian agricultural products for farmers and end-users with an evidence-based and transparent variety registration process
• Ensure continuous improvement by requiring new varieties to meet or exceed performance of check varieties in each growing region
• Ensure farmers can easily get relevant and meaningful information about the seed they use

Canada’s seed regulations protect farmers and the public interest – but this could soon change. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is leading a Seed Regulatory Modernization review that could bring in major changes to our system

Multinational seed, biotech and chemical corporations are lobbying for big changes to our seed regulations that would benefit them at the expense of farmers and the public interest. You can help create the pressure needed to keep Canada’s seed regulations working for farmers.

The CFIA is responsible for the review, and created the Seed Regulatory Modernization Working Group to make recommendations. There are opportunities for farmers to provide input and feedback to the process. From now until May 1, 2023 the CFIA is running a survey:  the CFIA Winter 2023 Seed Regulatory Modernization Consultation. The NFU has prepared a Farmers Guide to help you answer the questions.  As an informed farmer, you can make a difference!

Have your say!

Farmers Guide – The CFIA is leading a major review of Canada’s Seed Regulations. As a Canadian farmer you have always operated within the existing seed regulatory framework and it provides a strong foundation for our food system. Our seed regulations were designed to protect farmers from unscrupulous seed dealers, and from fraud and misrepresentation within the seed system. The Seed Regulatory Modernization review puts all of this on the table — and the outcome could bring in major changes to our system that harm the public interest, weaken agriculture in Canada, and make seed less reliable and more expensive for farmers. The NFU has carefully analyzed the CFIA’s questions, and is offering you this Farmers Guide to allow you to easily complete the survey with answers that will support farmers’ interests. Click here for an HTML version of the guide. And for the French version, Guide des fermiers de l’UNF pour le sondage de l’ACIA, click here.

Learn about how today’s seed regulations work for farmers:

Click on the title or image to download a PDF version of each Fact Sheet.

Variety Registration – This fact sheet will help you understand a key component of our seed system: Variety Registration. Canadian farmers buying seed can be confident that registered varieties perform well in our growing conditions, do not harbor serious plant diseases, and will produce crops our customers value all because they are independently assessed by experts. We know the variety’s characteristics, such as days to maturity, yield, disease resistance, height and other data relevant to the crop, are verified through independent testing with published results. Click here for the HTML version of the fact sheet.

Seed Grade Tables  –  This fact sheet will help you understand a key component of our seed system: Grade Tables. Canadian farmers buying pedigreed seed can be confident the seed’s grade is the result of an official third-party verification process authorized by the CFIA. The seed lot’s official Grade is printed on the blue tag attached to each bag of seed, and guarantees that the seed meets minimum standards for purity and germination. Click here for the HTML version of the fact sheet.

Pedigreed and Common Seed – This fact sheet will help you understand the differences and similarities between pedigreed seed and common seed, and their importance in our seed system. Both pedigreed and common seed are supported by Canada’s Seed Regulations, which have protected farmers for nearly 100 years. But this could soon change – and not necessarily for the benefit of farmers. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is currently leading a Seed Regulatory Modernization process that could bring in major changes to our system. Click here for the HTML version of the fact sheet.

Incorporation by Reference – This fact sheet will help you understand how Incorporation by Reference (IBR) works as a regulatory tool, how it could be used in our seed regulatory system, and what this could mean for farmers. IBR is being proposed as a way to allow faster changes to the seed regulations in future. However, this increased speed can come at the cost of transparency and public accountability. Click here for the HTML version of the fact sheet.

You can share this information with others at events and in the community by printing and distributing this one-page hand-out with QR codes that link to this page.