Syngenta Seeds Canada president Dave Sippell has been elected as the new president of the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA).
Sippell, who until now was the CSTA’s first vice-president, replaces Jeff Reid of SeCan in the president’s chair. Sippell was elected by CSTA delegates and directors at the group’s annual meeting in Whistler, B.C.
Sippell’s one-year term will include the CSTA’s upcoming joint convention with the Canadian Seed Growers Association in July 2010. The CSTA also hosts the World Seed Congress in May 2010 in Calgary.
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The CSTA also elected Wayne Unger of Winnipeg as its first vice-president. Unger, of BrettYoung Seeds, was until now the group’s second vice-president.
Previous board member Alexandre Mailloux of La Coop Federee in Montreal replaces Unger as second vice-president.
New CSTA directors this year include Don Mingle of Pro Seeds Canada at Woodstock, Ont. and Rod Merryweather of Bayer CropScience in Calgary.
“The United Nations says that by 2050 — just 40 years from now — there will be nine billion people in the world, an increase of 2.5 billion from today,” said Sippell, who works for Syngenta at Arva, Ont.
“I see three possible scenarios. One, face starvation for many people — this is totally unacceptable. Two, cut down rain forests in an attempt to produce more food, but even then there won’t be enough land. Or three, apply technology to agriculture to produce more food on each acre.
“We in the seed industry have chosen option number three and are committed to meeting the challenge,” said Sippell, who has previously worked as general manager of UGG’s Proven Seed division and as CEO of Canterra Seeds.
