Thursday October 9, 2025 | OTTAWA, ON
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
NDP MP and Agriculture critic Gord Johns is urging the federal government to protect farmers’ right to save and develop seeds. Specifically, the NDP is asking that proposed changes to the Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) Regulations be scrapped.
The regulation changes would limit the right of farmers to save and adapt seeds from their own crops.
Johns delivered a news conference about this today in Ottawa.
Public input to October 18:
The Plant Breeders’ Rights Office is holding its public consultation from August 9 to October 18, during peak fall harvest. Because of the timing, many farmers will be unable to provide input on this critical issue.
E-Petition:
An E-Petition brought forward that would protect the right of farmers to produce seeds on their farms has been backed by Johns.
The e-petition “Protect Farmers Right to Save Seed” was put forward by the National Farmers Union; the last day to sign it was October 5, 2025. A total of 6,203 signatures were gathered. See Petition e-6778
“Canadians know how important it is to keep seed in farmers’ hands. Thousands have signed an e-petition asking the government to drop its plans to restrict the age-old practice of saving farm seed. I am honoured to present this petition in the House of Commons today,” added Johns.
“I will keep fighting to make sure farmers’ voices are heard,” said Johns, who supports the NFU position that further entrenchment of largely foreign private plant breeding in the fruit, vegetable, and ornamental sectors will be a direct threat to food security, seed sovereignty and farmer autonomy.
Multinationals focus on their largest markets and most profitable crop kinds, leading to Canadian farmers being offered only varieties that fit corporate priorities.
About the proposed changes:
The changes that the Liberal government is proposing are aimed at protecting the intellectual property (IP) rights of farmers by which tree and vine varieties could be patent-protected for 25 years, with all other plant varieties protected for 20 years.
The regulations apply to seeds for fruit, vegetables and ornamentals.
The new regulations would remove their ability of farmers to save seeds from PBR-protected crops and forcie them to buy new seeds every year.
But that could threaten crop variety options for farmers who presently may save seeds and develop new crop varieties.
Farmers saving seeds:
Under the current PBR Act, plant breeders have exclusive rights to sell and reproduce new varieties for 20 years. Farmers who purchase these seeds can save and replant them from their own harvest.
This helps with the costs of running a farm operation by reducing or eliminating the need to buy new seeds and allows farms to build a ‘brand’ or more assured market for their crops.
“For generations, farmers have saved their own seeds,” said Johns. “The changes to the PBR Act in 2015 opened the door for this right to be taken away — and now the government is moving to do just that for horticultural varieties.”
Canadian growing conditions:
The National Farmers Union points out that many vegetable seeds that are available to farmers are not bred for Canadian growing conditions, as stated in today’s press conference by Cathy Holtstander, Director of Research and Policy with the National Farmers Union.
Holtstander also expressed concern that the understanding of plants by farmers (and other growers) is underestimated or taken for granted.
She said that farmers are ‘seed experts’ and through developing new plant varieties are building food sovereignty.
The right to adapt seeds for individual farms could be lost, said Aabir Dey, Director, The Bauta Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, during today’s press conference. Saving seeds and developing new crop varieties is important for creating new plant varieties, helping farmers by reducing input costs (not having to pay seed royalties every year), and adapting the growing of food to the impacts of climate change, he outlined.
Budget cutbacks:
Today Johns stressed the increasing strain on farmers as seed options become more limited.
“We once had a thriving public plant breeding system that developed fruit, vegetable, and ornamental varieties for Canadian growing conditions. Years of austerity budgets have shut down nearly all of these programs. Forcing growers to pay more for seed every year will not fill that gap, nor will it be enough to entice more plant breeding in Canada,” said Johns.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee:
The House of Commons Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee meets today, October 9. This is their fourth meeting since September 25.
The Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee is comprised of Liberal, Conservative and Bloc Quebecois MPs, but no NDP (as the NDP lost party status in the Spring 2025 federal election).
Government’s Regulatory Reform Initiative in Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector is on the agenda.
Local to Vancouver Island:
Gord Johns is the MP for Courtenay-Alberni on Vancouver Island.
The Vancouver Island region is at threat of food security by being hugely dependent on transport supply chains, with a short supply of food being available on the island if a major emergency like an earthquake were to disrupt supply chains.
Farmers and urban food growers on Vancouver Island appreciate seeds that have been adapted to the island’s growing conditions, including a long natural season from March to October.
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NEWS SECTIONS: FEDERAL NDP | AGRICULTURE | FOOD SECURITY | URBAN FOOD RESILIENCE