CFIA seeks seed regulation comment
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is seeking feedback on recommendations for seed regulation modernization. The consultation is open for comments until May 1 and will cover potential changes that could impact:
- Variety registration.
- Seed crop certification including crop inspection and crop certificates.
- Seed harvesting, cleaning, conditioning and sampling, testing and grading of seed.
For more information, contact SeedSemence@inspection.gc.ca.
Soil health receives funding
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The Weston Family Soil Health Initiative has awarded $10 million in funding over five years to support the adoption of practices that improve soil health on Canada’s farmlands.
Launched last year, the initiative seeks to expand the adoption of ecologically based beneficial management practices.
These include cover cropping, nutrient management and crop diversification/rotation that increase soil organic matter to improve biodiversity and resiliency on agricultural lands.
Healthy soil organic matter helps to improve water retention, supports carbon sequestration, and makes agro-ecosystems more resilient and better able to recover and adapt to environmental stresses such as drought and floods.
Research shows that improving soil health on agricultural lands offers one of the largest and most immediate opportunities to improve biodiversity and mitigate climate change in Canada.
Eight agricultural and conservation organizations working to promote soil health have been awarded the funding.
More information is at westonfoundation.ca/project/weston-family-soil-health-initiative/.