2019 AOSCA Celebrates 100 Years
Seed Today Online 2019 – In 1919, representatives from 13 states and Canada met in Chicago to discuss how they could develop an organization that would uniformly maintain the identity of seed varieties and promote the growing seed trade across North America. Out of that meeting came the International Crop Improvement Association. Its name was changed to AOSCA in 1968.
During the century following that first meeting, seed certification standards adopted by AOSCA and administered by its member agencies have become the foundation for global seed production systems. Seed customers for generations have benefited from a consistent supply of pure, high quality seed. AOSCA’s Standards are an integral part of Federal and State seed laws and served as the blueprint for global seed certification programs.
The organization has grown in its international reach. Flags of eight countries were displayed on stage during the Annual Meeting in Chicago, representing where AOSCA has member agencies. The countries include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Canada, and the United States.
The purpose of the 100-year anniversary celebration was to commemorate a century of service to the global seed industry and look forward to the opportunities for service in the years ahead.
“We want to be positive and forward thinking,” AOSCA CEO Chet Boruff says. “It’s simply a matter of how we get there. We want to work collectively to keep being a vital part of the global seed industry so 50, 100 years from now, they might appreciate the path we prepare for them.”
Sources – Seed Today AOSCA Celebrates 100-Year Anniversary During Annual Meeting In Chicago (seedtoday.com)