Seeds Canada dba Centre for Systems Integration (CSI)
Once a month, COTA celebrates inspirational stories from our members who are radically transforming our food system and making waves in the organic world. This month we are excited to feature insights from Seeds Canada, a COTA member since 2005.
Tell us about your organization and the people who work there.
Seeds Canada (doing business as Centre for Systems Integration (CSI)) is a CFIA Canada Organic Regime (COR) accredited organic certification body (CB). CSI provides organic certification services under the Canada Organic Regime with equivalency to the National Organic Program (NOP), European Union Organic Program and the Japanese (JAS) organic program standards, among others. Our staff are agriculture enthusiasts that are service oriented and share the desire to have a positive impact on Canada’s agriculture and food industries.
What are you trying to achieve through your vision, mission, and purpose?
Our vision and mission are one of servitude, looking to bring more value to Canada’s agricultural producers. We are in a unique position as a not-for-profit to deliver 3rd-party audit, inspection and certification services based on a cost recovery model. As the demand by consumers for confidence in their food choices increases, our services aim to minimize the burden of proof on producers, food processors and the supply chain.
What are the origins of the organization?
The Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) is one of Seeds Canada’s amalgamating partner associations. CSI was established in the late 1990’s by Canada’s seed industry stakeholder groups. Its formation was the seed industry’s response to government cutbacks and the resulting delegation of the oversight of CFIA’s Registered Seed Establishments (RSE) to the seed industry.
CSI was formed by the seed industry as a neutral, not-for-profit body, to develop a framework based on International Standards Organization (ISO) principles that the RSE’s could implement to help ensure their compliance with Canada’s Seeds Act and Seeds Regulations. CSI audits the RSEs for compliance and recommends the RSEs to CFIA for accreditation. CSI also provides oversight of the CFIA accredited seed labs, and the Operators and Graders licensed to operate in a RSE. Around 2002, CSI responded to requests from its clients and established the Centre for Systems Integration to deliver organic certification services. In its earlier years, the Canadian Seed Institute, doing business as Centre for Systems Integration (CSI), was an accredited certification body under the NOP, EU and JAS organic programs. Today, CSI is accredited by CFIA under the Canada Organic Regime to deliver COR certification services with equivalency to the NOP, EU, and JAS organic program requirements.
Please share highlights of your organization’s innovation, inspiration and dedication to organic.
Sourcing organic seed continues to be a huge challenge for organic producers, and the demand for organic seed far exceeds the supply. The supply gap is massive, and the choice of varieties is limited! To produce more organic seed and to truly narrow the supply gap will require a stronger partnership between the seed and organic industries. There is incredible potential for this partnership. A lot can be accomplished if these two agricultural sectors in Canada focus on what they have in common. CSI is in a unique position to bridge this gap.
How does your organization interact with organic?
As an accredited organic certification body, our primary role is in providing organic certification services. We also actively support our organic inspectors by investing in their professional development and supporting important professional organizations like the International Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA). Our staff also participate in numerous organic industry associations and committees: the organic standards committees, the Accredited Certifiers Association (ACA), the board of the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), and the Guelph Organic Conference Committee to name a few.
What advice do you have for newbies in the industry?
Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions. The organic industry is full of incredible people interested in sharing their knowledge and experience. If you are interested in working for a certification body, then I encourage you to gain some experience in crop production or in food processing for example. Gaining some background and knowledge in these areas will help you relate to the organic operations you inspect.
What gets you most excited about the organic community and your involvement in it?
We really appreciate the sense of community in the organic industry, and even more so among producers. Seasoned producers are more than happy to share their knowledge and experience with new producers and to mentor the next generation.
What are your hopes and dreams for transforming the food system to be more ecological?
As a 3rd-party audit, inspection and certification body, we see our role as a facilitator of sorts. We are committed to providing efficient and cost-effective verification services for our clients that want to make our world a better, healthier place by adopting and implementing ecologically and environmentally friendly production practices…such as organic certification.
About the Author:
Roy van Wyk is the Director of Client Strategy and Solutions for Seeds Canada and Seeds Canada dba Centre for Systems Integration (CSI). Roy has over 35 years experience in Canada’s agriculture sector with roots in dairy production. Since graduating from the University of Guelph with a BSc. Agr. In 1993, he has worked in the ginseng industry, managed an Ontario based seed company, managed the seed department of a large farmers co-operative in southern Ontario, and was the Operations Manager for the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association before accepting an offer to lead the Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) as their Executive Director in 2011. In February 2021, CSI amalgamated with three other associations that serve the Canadian seed industry to form Seeds Canada. Following the amalgamation Roy continues to manage the ongoing development and delivery of Seeds Canada’s 3rd-party audit, inspection and certification services.
To learn more about CSI, visit https://csi-ics.com/canadian-seed-institute