Ottawa, Canada
December 16, 2013

The Government of Canada has taken a very substantial step forward today with the introduction of the Canadian Agricultural Growth Act. Included in this legislation are amendments to Canada’s Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) Act, to bring it into compliance with the 1991 Convention of the International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV)

“The Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) supports all of the measures included in this Bill as they continue to modernize regulatory and policy measures affecting agriculture and agri‐food, but we particularly welcome the changes to Plant Breeders’ Rights,” said CSTA President Peter Entz. “These amendments are very much needed,”

Updated PBR legislation will bring Canada’s intellectual property tool box in line with those in other countries. CSTA is confident that it will help to stimulate investment in the development of new varieties for Canadian farmers. Just as importantly, when the new Act is implemented, farmers will have access to superior varieties developed beyond our borders.

Canada is one of the few remaining UPOV member countries whose legislation does not comply with the most recent convention. Because of that, international developers have been unwilling to provide new genetics to Canada. “That, combined with the reluctance of the private sector to invest in variety development of some crops in Canada, has had a negative effect on the competitiveness of our farmers,” said Entz. “The introduction of this legislation unlocks another door to a new era of competitiveness and leadership for Canadian agriculture.”

CSTA is aware that there is concern about proposed changes to Plant Breeders’ Rights in the sector. That concern is partially the result of confusion about the actual changes and what they will mean to farmers. We are working very hard to ensure that accurate information is available to farmers.

Find fact sheets and information pieces on CSTA’s website at http://cdnseed.org/plant‐breeders‐rights/

Website: http://cdnseed.org

Published: December 16, 2013