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UID:10000713-1773316800-1773322200@www.nfu.ca
SUMMARY:Growing Seed Sovereignty: Farmers\, Seed Policy\, and the Common Good
DESCRIPTION:As part of SeedChange’s Where Does Your Seed Come From? series and the National Farmers Union’s NFUniversity\, this webinar offers a clear\, farmer-focused perspective on seed policy and why it matters now. Grounded in farmers’ experience\, rights and time-honoured practices of saving\, adapting\, and exchanging seed\, we’ll explore how farmers are impacted by seed policies in Canada and internationally. \n\n\n\nWe’ll outline a shared vision for what a public-interest seed system can look like and examine the ways our current Canadian policy environment benefits or hinders seed sovereignty. For decades\, farmers and allies have organized to fight for seed systems that support farm livelihoods\, food sovereignty\, the environment\, and the public good – and we sustain those advantages by staying engaged. Join us to explore how you can help shape policies that strengthen farmers’ rights and our collective seed sovereignty into the future. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Presenter(s)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAabir Dey\n\n\n\nAabir developed his passion for seeds while he was completing his Sustainable Farming Certificate at Everdale\, a teaching farm in Hillsburgh\, Ontario\, and supporting research trials for Seeds of Diversity’s collection of over 3\,000 different Canadian seed varieties. After completing a Master of Environmental Studies at York University\, researching organic seed systems in Ontario\, Aabir joined the The Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security\, as Regional Program Coordinator for Ontario. Aabir has co-authored publications on Canada’s seed system including the Canadian Organic Seed Sector Environmental Scan\, the Discussion Paper on Seed Policy in Canada\, and Canadian Organic and Ecological Plant Breeding Priorities for Vegetable Crops\, and Building Climate Resilient Seed Systems in Canada. He has been instrumental in shaping and leading the training\, research\, and policy programs developed for SeedChange’s Canadian program. Aabir loves working in the field with seed producers and farmers all over the country\, and is committed to helping them build climate-resilient seed systems. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCathy Holtslander\n\n\n\nCathy Holtslander is the Director of Research and Policy at the National Farmers Union. In addition to policy research\, analysis and writing articles and briefs on NFU policy issues\, she convenes working groups of NFU members addressing policy issues. Prior to joining the NFU staff in 2011 she taught ABE in Northern Saskatchewan\, was the Coordinator of the Saskatchewan Eco Network\, co-published Synergy Magazine\, and was a founder of\, and worked for the Beyond Factory Farming Coalition\, an organization promoting sustainable livestock production. Her Master’s degree focussed on social movement adult education and the history of women’s leadership in the farm movement in Saskatchewan. She also has degrees in Sociology and Regional and Urban Development. She and her partner have operated a certified organic grain farm near Mont Nebo\, SK since 2009. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Materials\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGrowing Seed Sovereignty: Webinar recording\n\n\n\nThis NFU University webinar features our presenters exploring seed policy and farmer sovereignty in Canada. Seeds carry stories of culture\, migration\, adaptation\, breeding\, and resistance\, yet for many growers\, understanding ends at the seed packet. Holtslander and Day frame seed policy around common farmer needs—recognition\, fair rewards\, freedom to farm as they choose\, good seeds that don’t compromise autonomy\, and supportive communities with food control.  \n\n\n\nHoltslander traces Canada’s seed system from its colonial origins through the development of quality standards and public plant breeding infrastructure in the early 1900s. She explains how hybrid corn\, plant breeders’ rights\, genetic engineering\, and patents progressively shifted control of seeds toward private corporations\, restricting farmers’ ability to save and replant seed. The NFU has organized farmer resistance since the 1970s against plant breeders’ rights and intellectual property frameworks that limit farmer autonomy. \n\n\n\nFinally\, our presenters outline current threats and advocacy priorities: proposals to eliminate farmer’s privilege for horticultural\, vegetable\, and hybrid crops; regulatory exemptions that allow gene-edited varieties onto the market without transparency; and devastating cuts to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research facilities. Rather than pursuing only incremental regulatory changes\, they call for permanent positions on seed policy: massive public investment in farmer-led plant breeding\, robust seed conservation systems\, constitutional protections for farmer seed-saving rights\, and mandatory transparency for all gene-edited and genetically engineered varieties. \n\n\n\nVisit our NFUniversity playlist on our Youtube channel to see a complete list of our NFUniversity recorded webinars.
URL:https://www.nfu.ca/event/seed-policy-for-farmers/
CATEGORIES:NFUniversity
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Regina:20260319T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Regina:20260319T143000
DTSTAMP:20260324T182250Z
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UID:10000728-1773925200-1773930600@www.nfu.ca
SUMMARY:Basic Income 101: What is a guaranteed annual income?
DESCRIPTION:Incomes continue to tumble for many Canadian farmers. Increasing costs\, stagnating product prices\, and tight margins are making farm livelihoods untenable. Canadian farmers are increasingly seeking off-farm jobs to fill in the gaps. New farmers are faced with high start-up costs\, with few long-term guarantees that they can keep farming and make a livelihood. What’s the solution? At our National Convention in 2025\, members of the National Farmers Union passed a resolution calling for a guaranteed annual income of $50\,000 to support Canadian farmers. Income guarantees come in all shapes and sizes\, so how can we organize successfully for a policy that makes sense for Canadian farmers? \n\n\n\nIn this NFUniversity session\, Sheila Regehrs will give a history of organizing for basic income in Canada. This historical overview will answer important questions for the NFU’s organizing work\, including: What basic income policies have been proposed in Canada in the past? Are there examples of successful basic income policies in Canada or abroad? How can we effectively organize for a basic income in Canada? \n\n\n\nThis session will be followed up with organizing session on Thursday\, March 26th (Noon PST / 1pm MST / 2pm SK\, MB / 3pm EST / 4pm AST).Here\, we’ll be turning knowledge into action! This session will be a guided conversation about how to mobilize and organize around what we learned in the knowledge-building session on March 15th. Register for both sessions below. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Presenter(s)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSheila Regehr\n\n\n\nSheila Regehr is a founding member of the Basic Income Canada Network and former Executive Director of the National Council of Welfare. Her 29 years of federal public service spanned front-line work\, policy analysis and development\, international relations and senior management\, with a focus on improving fairness and equality\, and on gender and race in particular. She has policy expertise in areas of income security and taxation\, such as child tax benefits\, child support\, maternity/parental benefits\, pensions and social assistance. Her insight also comes from experiencing poverty as a young parent. Sheila is grateful\, in her retirement\, to have resources\, time and health to do volunteer work and help care for twin grandsons.
URL:https://www.nfu.ca/event/basic-income-101-what-is-a-guaranteed-annual-income/
CATEGORIES:NFUniversity
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LOCATION:https://nfu-ca.zoom.us/j/87667070432?pwd=RhXgDj3hJfGa8qBGAT1Ky2O2JAyKUd.1
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