Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 11668 www.seed.ab.ca | Advancing Seed in Alberta WINS YIELD & CLUBROOT BATTLES SUPERIOR YIELDS AND AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE, WITH CLUBROOT RESISTANCE provenseed.ca Always follow grain marketing and all other stewardship practices and pesticide label directions. Details of these requirements can be found in the Trait Stewardship Responsibilities Notice to Farmers printed in thispublication.GenuityandDesign® ,Roundup Ready® and Roundup® are registered trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC, Monsanto Canada Inc. licensee. Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. Pioneer® , the trapezoid symbol and Protector® are registered trademarks of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. CPS CROP PRODUCTION SERVICES and Design is a registered trademark of Crop Production Services, Inc. 09/16-51655-1 TM these illegitimate sellers lower the market for legitimate ones who work to forge strong relationships with farmers. Common seed in Canada is required to be of a registered vari- ety to be sold, but illegitimate sellers can drive across the border, pick up a load of beans and sell them, Hadley says. “We know that the herbicide-tolerant trait is present in a large percentage of the soybean crop,” he says. “But if farmers buy common seed, they don’t know if they are getting Roundup Ready technology or Roundup Ready 2 — which is still under patent protection. It has become a buyer beware system.” Hadley says companies want farmers to be successful and view customers as long-term partners. But the bigger concern is the potential market disruption, says Darrel Armstrong, stewardship lead for Monsanto Canada. The original Roundup Ready trait in soybeans is the first large acre- age product to come off patent; however, more technologies are scheduled to follow. Although Monsanto has committed to maintaining approvals in key export markets for the original Roundup Ready trait in soybean for a period of time, there is the question about who will maintain these approvals for any trait once the patent has expired and the developer no longer wants to sell the product. Once the import approval lapses or expires in a key market, that can put exports to the market at risk, Arm- strong says. “Additionally many technologies have specific stewardship needs that help protect the long-term durability,” he says. “With off patent technology, the grower may not receive the correct guid- ance, increasing the risk the technology may fail, which could also impact similar technologies. If that happens, no one wins.” Avoiding Market Disruption If farmers don’t have certainty in what they buy, they can not communicate to grain buyers or end users what technology is in their grain, making it difficult to ensure that products don’t end up in markets where they’re not approved. This was the impetus for the formation of a Joint Post Patent Working Group, bringing together CropLife Canada and the Canadian Seed Trade Association, of which both Hadley and Armstrong are participants. The group is tasked with developing strategies to: Maintain export market access for Canadian seed derived products; maintain confidence in the regulatory system; support sustainable production practices for post patent traits; and develop a clear, unified message. The working group has completed a white paper outlining the current state with roles and responsibilities, the challenges and risks associated with the current structure, and guiding principles for the development of a new framework. The working group is expected to continue its efforts and looks to engage Agricul- ture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in discussions this fall. Julie Deering “With off patent technology, the grower may not receive the correct guidance, increasing the risk the technology may fail, which could also impact similar technologies.” —Darrel Armstrong