Barry Senft, whose resume in Canadian agriculture includes stints as CEO for Grain Farmers of Ontario, executive director for the Canadian International Grains Institute, chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission and second vice-president for Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, becomes executive director of Seeds Canada on June 1.

Senft, originally from Lipton, Sask., stepped down in April last year as GFO’s CEO, having led that organization since its 2009 formation in a merger of Ontario’s corn, soybean and wheat grower groups.

Seeds Canada formally launched in February, completing a merger of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) and Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA).

Senft’s “national experience in the grain sector, understanding of agriculture issues and extensive experience in strategic development and leadership will be an asset,” Seeds Canada president Ellen Sparry said in a release Thursday.

“The impact of the seed sector is already significant, but there is great potential for it to do more if we can unlock its full potential with the right regulations and support,” Senft said in the same release.

Senft, as executive director, is expected to work with the Seeds Canada board and staff to “ensure the organization continues to grow throughout the amalgamation and deliver enhanced services for members and clients.”

Among his first tasks, the organization said, “will be to enact a renewed outreach to current and potential members and to drive Seeds Canada’s members priorities to the forefront of government agenda.”

The organization’s first annual general meeting is scheduled to take place virtually from July 9 to 16. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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Members of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) and Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) have voted in favour of amalgamation, the groups announced Wednesday.

An inaugural board of 15 directors (see below) has been named for the new organization and has set up a transition committee to work on putting the new structure in place ahead of the formal merger on Feb. 1 next year, the groups said.

CSTA represents the seed trade, including some farmer-level seed growers, seed retailers and major seed companies such as BASF and Bayer. CSAAC represents seed-testing labs, CSI delivers accreditation and monitoring programs and CPTA supports intellectual property protection for the seeds sector.

The Seeds Canada founding groups said the new organization has “received a great deal of interest and the number of members is expected to grow, bringing new voices and perspectives to the existing membership of the four groups.”

The goal, they said, is for Seeds Canada’s membership to include national and provincial seed associations as well as seed growers from across the country.

For now, however, it won’t include the Canadian Seed Growers Association (CSGA), whose members voted this summer to reject a previous proposal for a five-way amalgamation.

The remaining groups announced in October they would put the new four-way merger proposal to their members for a second vote.

The CSGA would have been the largest of the five, as it represents pedigreed seed producers, with a membership made up mainly of farmers. It also has statutory power to certify pedigreed seed.

For now, the CSGA, in its role as a CSTA affiliate, is expected to be invited to become an affiliate member of Seeds Canada, as would some provincial seed grower associations.

The CSGA had been in on developing the original amalgamation proposal, which dates back to a 2015 brief from the CSGA and CSTA, followed by a 2017 “green paper” on the “core ideas and context for the next-generation seed system.”

CropLife Canada, a separate body representing life science companies that develop and sell new varieties and crop protection products, had also originally been part of the proposed group but opted out before the earlier vote this summer.

A 2018 white paper from the five organizations pointed out that, among other issues facing the seeds sector, the groups have “overlapping memberships and even directors, creating a significant draw on member time and resources.”

Critics of the five-way proposal this summer warned of a risk that larger agribusinesses and multinational seed companies might ultimately dominate Seeds Canada — a concern merger supporters have said was largely unwarranted.

“Growers play an integral role in the seed system, and Seeds Canada needs their involvement to succeed,” the four Seeds Canada groups said in their statement Wednesday.

For now, they said, “the priority is to have a smooth transition and ensure business continuity for members on Day One of Seeds Canada.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

Who’s on the board?

Seeds Canada’s inaugural 15-member board includes:

• Annie Bergeron, CEO, Les Grains Semtech
• Philippe Charlebois, CEO, Semican
• Georges Chausse, seed division lead, Sollio Agriculture
• Chris Churko, CEO, FP Genetics
• Brent Collins, head of canola seeds, North America, BASF
• Holly Gelech, business development manager, SGS BioVision
• Dianne Gilhuly, president, Kent Agri Lab
• Monica Klaas, general manager, Alberta Seed Processors Association
• Jeff Loessin, corn, soy and winter wheat marketing lead, Corteva Canada
• Quentin Martin, co-CEO, Cribit Seeds
• Eric McLean, owner, Ben Ledi Farms
• Jeff Reid, general manager, SeCan
• Nick Sekulic, seed grower, Prestville Farms
• Ellen Sparry, general manager, C+M Seeds
• Jim Wilson, vice-chair, Canterra Seeds

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Members of the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC), Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) and Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) had voted on the proposal over the past six weeks.

Offering up no details, the groups said in a release Thursday that “one organization, the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, did not vote in favour.”

The seed organizations, in their joint release, said the “result is disappointing, and the boards of each participating organization will now consider how to move forward.”

Of the five groups involved, the CSGA is the largest. It represents pedigreed seed producers, with a membership made up mainly of farmers. It also has statutory power to certify pedigreed seed.

Without a unanimous decision in hand, the groups’ boards said Thursday they will “reconvene to determine the next steps” and expect to update members by the middle of September.

The groups had announced their plans in June for a vote on whether to amalgamate under the banner “Seeds Canada,” in a move they said would “bring together these organizations for greater efficiency and a common purpose: a stronger, united voice for Canada’s seed sector.”

The groups had said at the time that if one or more of the five didn’t ratify the plan, the remaining groups “may proceed to amalgamate on their own” — or could then choose not to proceed at all.

The proposal dates back to a 2015 brief from the CSGA and CSTA, followed by a 2017 “green paper” on the “core ideas and context for the next-generation seed system.”

A 2018 white paper from the organizations pointed out that, among other issues facing the seeds sector, the groups have “overlapping memberships and even directors, creating a significant draw on member time and resources.”

Critics of the proposal, however, have voiced concerns that larger agribusinesses and multinational seed companies may ultimately dominate Seeds Canada.

Others have asked aloud whether the proposed new organization would result in the undermining of Canada’s current pedigreed seed system. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

CORRECTION, Aug. 27: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Aug. 27, 2020 as “Friday.” We regret the error.

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A “detailed ratification package” has gone out to members of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), Canadian Seed Institute (CSI), Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA), Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA) and Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada (CSAAC).

The new organization, if ratified, “will bring together these organizations for greater efficiency and a common purpose: a stronger, united voice for Canada’s seed sector,” the groups said in a release Friday.

The ratification package going to members of the five groups will include details about the amalgamation and the proposed bylaws, finances and governance structure for Seeds Canada.

Webinars, member meetings and other communications will take place “in the coming weeks and months” and voting will take place “over the summer.” Members in good standing with more than one of the organizations will be eligible to cast votes with each of those groups.

If one or more of the member organizations doesn’t ratify the plan, the remaining groups “may proceed to amalgamate on their own” — or may choose not to proceed, they said.

The proposal dates back to a 2015 brief from the CSGA and CSTA, followed by a 2017 “green paper” on the “core ideas and context for the next-generation seed system.”

A 2018 white paper from the organizations pointed out that, among other issues facing the seeds sector, the groups have “overlapping memberships and even directors, creating a significant draw on member time and resources.”

CSGA is the largest of the five groups, representing pedigreed seed producers, with a membership made up mainly of farmers. It also has statutory power to certify pedigreed seed.

CSTA represents the seed trade, including some farmer-level seed growers and major seed companies, while CSAAC represents seed-testing labs.

CSI delivers accreditation and monitoring programs and CPTA supports intellectual property protection for the seeds sector.

CropLife Canada, representing life science companies making and selling new varieties and crop protection products, had originally been part of the proposed group but has since opted out and would co-operate with the new group, if formed, by way of a memorandum of understanding.

The current proposal would see Seeds Canada offer “over 36 essential services” to members and clients, including all original services offered by the five founding groups, through a new “single window” model.

The membership model would be voluntary, with voting privileges going to “seed industry business class” members — business entities, including sole proprietors — who grow, breed, condition, test, inspect, develop, trade/sell and/or distribute seed and/or seed crops.

Branch organizations, such as the provincial seed organizations now affiliated with the CSGA, would continue to operate as “autonomous entities.”

Seeds Canada would not have control or any role in such branches’ governance, membership, staff, assets, finances activities or initiatives, but would “continue to honour collection and remittance of fees.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network, with files from Allan Dawson of the Manitoba Co-operator.

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