Farmers' role in sustainable agriculture - Investing in new genetics

Feb 19, 2024

By Farms.com

A panel of agricultural experts convened to discuss the imperative of farmers' involvement in advancing sustainable agriculture through investment in new genetics. Jeff Jackson, representing SeedNet, urged collective responsibility in variety development to ensure industry resilience and growth.

The panel, comprising industry stakeholders, underscored the significance of supporting genetic innovation to address emerging challenges like climate variability and pest management. They emphasized the role of incentivizing plant breeders and funding research initiatives to foster innovation and ensure farmers' prosperity.

Sheri Strydhorst voiced concerns about funding constraints impacting essential trials, stressing the need for industry solidarity to safeguard critical variety development processes. Greg Stamp raised questions about the sustainability of producer-funded programs, urging alignment with long-term industry interests.

Morgan Webb highlighted the importance of genetic purity in seed production for crop quality and integrity, cautioning against neglecting pedigree standards.

The panel concluded by advocating adherence to laws and proper seed acquisition channels to ensure fair compensation for developers and industry advancement.

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Six hundred Canadian farms grow grain for Warburton's under custom contract — and that partnership exists because of Canadian plant breeding. Now the man responsible for maintaining it is sounding the alarm.

Adam Dyck is the program manager for Warburton's Canada, a company that produces over two million loaves of bread a day for more than 20,000 retail locations across the UK. He's watched Canadian wheat deliver thirty years of yield gains and quality advancements that make it worth sourcing at scale — and shipping across the Atlantic. But he's also watching the investment conditions that produced those gains come under pressure. Dyck makes the case for a new funding mechanism that brings both public and private dollars into wheat breeding before Canada's competitive window starts to close.