On April 17th Ag-West Bio and Innovation Place co-hosted a breakfast and information session to shine some light on UPOV 91 and the recently tabled Bill C-18, which contains amendments to the Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) Act.
Renowned plant breeder, Bryan Harvey (Professor Emeritus at the University of Saskatchewan) first provided an overview of the varietal registration process in Canada. Anthony Parker (Commissioner, Plant Breeders Rights Office at Canadian Food Inspection Agency) then provided an update on the implementation of UPOV 91 and its implications to agricultural researchers and producers.
Harvey’s presentation included a history of the Canadian registration system, which he says is unique, science based, transparent and unbiased. Parker began with a presentation about the importance of plant breeding and an overview of PBR intellectual property framework. He followed with and overview of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), and then explained the proposed amendments to the PBR Act within Bill C-18.
View Bryan Harvey’s presentation slides
View Anthony Parker’s presentation slides
Related article: Breeders’ rights bill protects producers by Keith Downey and Bryan Harvey (Western Producer) Bill C-18 document (Parliament of Canada)