Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
April 30, 2014

Cereals Canada has become the newest member of Partners in Innovation. The national cereals value chain organization is the 16th organization to join the coalition to support amendments to Canadian Plant Breeders’ Rights legislation.

Cereals Canada brings together a broad and diverse collaboration of associations and companies from all sectors of the cereals value chain to enhance the domestic and international competiveness of the Canadian cereals industries. Members include farm organizations, grain handling firms, and seed and crop development companies. According to Cereals Canada President Cam Dahl: “Cereals Canada is focused on a coordinated effort to support market development initiatives, innovation in the cereals sector and policy that will ensure the profitability and long-term sustainability of all components of the cereals value chain.”

Increased innovation is critical to the growth and development of Canada’s cereals sector and encouraging research and innovation is a key part of Cereals Canada’s mandate. “We risk losing ground to our competitors if we fail to innovate,” says Dahl. “Modernization of Plant Breeders’ Rights in Canada and ratification of the UPOV 1991 convention are crucial steps to creating a renewed environment for investing in research and variety development.”

Partners in Innovation is a broad coalition of leading organizations representing producers of a wide variety of crops from grains, oilseeds and pulse crops to vegetables, fruits, potatoes and ornamentals from across Canada; along with national organizations representing crop value chains; and industry.

Partners in Innovation supports proposed Plant Breeders’ Rights Amendments which will bring Canadian legislation into compliance with the most recent international plant variety protection convention: UPOV 1991. Members of the coalition are confident that adopting UPOV 1991 will give Canadian breeders intellectual property protection tools that are comparable to those used by breeders around the world, opening new markets for Canadian innovations and giving Canadian farmers access to superior genetics and varieties developed both inside Canada and beyond our borders.

For more information on the Partners in Innovation please visit:
Web: www.partnersininnovation.ca
Twitter: @CdnAgInnovation

The Partners in Innovation are:
Alberta Barley Commission
Alberta Wheat Commission
Atlantic Grains Council
Barley Council of Canada
Canadian Horticultural Council
Cereals Canada
Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance
Canadian Potato Council
Canadian Seed Trade Association
Féderation des producteurs de cultures commerciales de Québec
Grain Farmers of Ontario
Grain Growers of Canada
Manitoba Pulse Growers Association
Mustard 21 Canada Inc.
The Prairie Oat Growers Association
Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association
 

Published: April 30, 2014