Seed Links

Canadian Seed Trade Association
Through the collective efforts of its membership, the CSTA fosters an environment conducive to researching, developing, distributing, and trading seed and associated technologies; with the goal of bettering the choices and successes of its members’ customers.

Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Environment Programme
The Convention on Biological Diversity is a pact among the vast majority of the world's governments designed to maintain the world's ecological underpinnings in the face of economic development. It establishes three main goals: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.

Food and Agriculture Organization, Seed and Plant Genetic Resources Service
The FAO’s Seed and Plant Genetic Resources Service manages programs for seed policies, seed improvement, seed production, seed security and germplasm exchange.

International Society for Seed Science
The ISSS is a membership organization that strives to advance education and research for the public benefit in the scientific study of seeds.

International Seed Trade Federation (FIS)
The FIS is a non-profit group of national associations and individual seed companies. With members from about 70 developed and developing countries of all continents, it represents the mainstream of world seed trade and serves as an international forum where general seed industry issues are discussed.

International Seed Testing Association
The primary purpose of the ISTA is to develop, adopt and publish standard procedures for sampling and testing seeds and to promote uniform application of these procedures for evaluation of seeds moving in international trade. ISTA’s secondary purposes include actively promoting research in all areas of seed science and technology and encouraging variety certification.

Mexican Seed Trade Association (in Spanish)
ASTA’s and CSTA’s counterpart in Mexico.

North American Plant Protection Organization
NAPPO, a Regional Plant Protection Organization of the International Plant Protection Convention, coordinates the efforts among Canada, the United States and Mexico to protect their plant resources from the entry, establishment and spread of regulated plant pests, while facilitating intra/interregional trade.

Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development Seed Schemes
The OECD groups 30 member countries in an organization that provides governments a setting in which to discuss, develop and perfect economic and social policy. The OECD Schemes for the Varietal Certification of Seed Moving in International Trade addresses global seed trade issues.