Updated Plant Breeders’ Rights Regulations to support innovation and greater choice for growers and consumers

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has updated the Plant Breeders’ Rights Regulations to encourage innovation, investment, research and competitiveness in Canada’s agriculture, horticulture, and ornamental sectors

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has updated the Plant Breeders’ Rights Regulations to encourage innovation, investment, research and competitiveness in Canada’s agriculture, horticulture, and ornamental sectors. The updates will benefit innovators, producers, and consumers by reinforcing Canada’s intellectual property framework for plant breeders in support of a more competitive environment that will deliver new and improved plant varieties to market. The changes will also enhance food security through climate-resilient and high-yielding varieties that support stable domestic production and a reliable and affordable food supply for Canadians.

·         Limit the farmers’ privilege for saving and re-using seed to small grain crops such as cereals and pulses, ensuring that plant breeders are fairly compensated for their work;

·         Extend the term for plant breeders’ rights for potatoes, asparagus, and woody plants to 25 years, allowing breeders more time to recover their investment;  

·         Reduce administrative burden by streamlining processes and supporting digitization, encouraging more applications for plant breeders’ rights in Canada; and

·         Make further administrative updates to align with the 2015 Plant Breeders’ Rights Act changes.

These enhancements will make it easier for both Canadian and international plant breeders to deliver high-yielding, climate resilient, pest- and disease-resistant crop varieties to Canadian producers. In turn, farmers will gain greater access to new crops, support sustainable and competitive agriculture, lower input costs and help ensure a reliable and affordable food supply for Canadians.