Built on strong variety development, Canadian grain has a solid reputation for high quality. However, industry experts increasingly warn this has been put at risk by waning investment, a cumbersome variety registration process and plant breeders’ rights that are often criticized as weak.

Ten years ago, Canada’s Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) Act was updated to align with UPOV ’91, the globally acknowledged framework that protects the innovation of plant breeders and helps them profit from new variety development. The legislation is intended to protect breeders’ rights, increase investment in plant breeding and boost access to foreign genetics. Farm groups strongly resisted its adoption as they feared the cost burden for farmers.

Among the topics tackled in the first issue of GrainsWest, was UPOV 91. Hinting at the eventual outcome of the initiative, the magazine posed the question “will the tale of UPOV 91 end happily ever after?” An international project, the UPOV framework is intended to ensure plant breeders can protect and profit from their work, and so spur investment in crop variety development critical to Canadian farmers. The story was published in January 2014 as legislation to bring the nation’s Plant Breeders’ Rights Act in line with UPOV moved through Parliament. The Legislative amendment was passed in 2015. GrainsWest flagged this as a turning point for Canadian agriculture, for better or worse.