ASTA Staff and Members Participate in SAA Mid-Term Meetings in Montevideo

ASTA staff and members traveled to Montevideo, Uruguay, to attend the Seed Association of the Americas (SAA) mid-terms from September 29 – October 2. The meetings brought together national seed associations from across the Western Hemisphere, along with representatives of governmental regulatory bodies from various countries in North and South America. 

Meeting discussions focused primarily on plant breeding innovations and phytosanitary trade regulations. Participants addressed genome editing policies across the region, as well as phytosanitary-related topics such as systems approaches and growing concerns over the volume of restrictive phytosanitary measures being notified to the WTO. 

Participants also discussed the potential creation of a new SAA Seed Trade and Technical Affairs Working Group, which would replace the former Seed Treatment Working Group and broaden its scope to address technical and trade-related topics not currently covered by the existing Biotechnology & PBI, Intellectual Property, or Phytosanitary Affairs working groups. Topics potentially in scope for the new group include seed treatment and seed certification. 

ASTA will continue to support SAA in building on these conversations in ways that better facilitate the international movement of seed.