Sitting down for an interview last week during Manitoba Seed Industry Days in Winnipeg, Doug Miller, executive director of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA), is calm, candid, and focused. Fresh off the unanimous approval of two revamped membership classes, Miller says he’s ready to chart a new course for Canada’s seed system—one that feels both innovative and familiar.
“What’s new is actually old,” Miller says, referencing CSGA’s reintroduction of the Affiliate and Associate membership classes. “These memberships were in place years ago, but changes in the Canada Not-for-Profit Act back in 2013 led to their removal. Now, the environment has changed, and we saw the need to revisit them.”
A few weeks ago in Calgary, the CSGA membership voted unanimously to bring these classes back—a milestone decision Miller says aligns with their commitment to building an “open and inclusive seed certification system.” The new framework ensures that anyone contributing to the value of certified seed has a path to join the organization. This includes seed companies, analysts, crop inspectors, and other key players in Canada’s seed value chain.
“When you look around this room at Manitoba Seed Industry Days, it’s not just growers here. It’s the whole seed value chain coming together. That’s what we want to embody as we move forward with the next generation of the CSGA.”
The Affiliate membership class focuses on regulated parties directly engaged with the seed certification process, while the Associate membership class offers a space for industry organizations and producer groups that don’t fall into the affiliate category. Both represent a strategic move to strengthen partnerships across the seed system, particularly in light of ongoing seed regulatory modernization (SRM).
Clearing Up Misconceptions
With change comes questions, and Miller is quick to address potential misconceptions about the new classes.
“Some have asked about board representation,” Miller says. “For Affiliate members, we’ve created a pathway to the CSGA board. The first 100 Affiliate members unlock one board seat, and surpassing 100 will unlock a second. But to be clear, Affiliate members will only vote on affiliate board seats, and regular members will vote on regular seats. There’s no dilution of existing rights or privileges for regular members.”
He emphasizes that these changes don’t alter the foundation of Canada’s trusted grower-based certification model. Instead, they expand participation, ensuring “a bigger seat at the table” for everyone contributing to Canada’s seed system.
The rollout is scheduled for mid-February, but momentum is already building. Prospective members can pre-register now to receive membership packages as soon as they’re ready.
Keeping Costs Accessible
In a move that Miller says reinforces inclusivity, the CSGA has adopted a unified membership fee across all classes: $240 annually. Miller explains that this decision stemmed from a desire to eliminate financial barriers, particularly for individuals like inspectors and analysts.
“For us, this wasn’t about revenue generation,” Miller says. “We wanted to bring people to the table. $240 is still money, but it’s accessible. We didn’t want cost to be the reason someone couldn’t join.”
WHERE ON THE WEB
Thinking of joining one of CSGA’s re-introduced membership classes? Fill out the interest form at docs.seedcert.ca/Forms/fTrZE and visit seedgrowers.ca/consultation-membershipclasses-2024/ for more info on the two classes
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