As the Seed Regulatory Modernization (SRM) process kicked into high gear with the recent winter consultation spearheaded by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), seed industry stakeholders in Canada were faced with a big task — figuring out how to tweak today’s seeds regulations to make lasting change for the next generation.
It’s a process Quentin Martin says he doesn’t envy his fellow seed industry colleagues who make up the SRM working group and task teams for having to go through. And don’t forget the government officials tasked with spearheading it all, he adds.
“It can’t be easy being in a situation where there are so many opposing views. I know they didn’t create the issues that they’re dealing with today, and I understand that they’re just trying to figure out a way to reach a sensible resolution. It’s a tough position to be in, and I can empathize with them,” says Martin, owner of Ontario’s Cribit Seeds.
Martin is a board member for Seeds Canada and is also a member of the Ontario Seed Growers’ Association. You might say he’s been around and knows the issues.
He even has a few thoughts about fixing those issues, but he’s seasoned enough to know that things aren’t always easy to fix.
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