A joint statement from the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition, the Canadian Barley Research Coalition, Seeds Canada, University of Manitoba, University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre and the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta
May 7, 2026, Winnipeg, MB – The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) invited stakeholders directly engaged in wheat and barley plant breeding in Western Canada to gather in Winnipeg, MB to co-develop a shared vision of the optimal future of Western Canadian wheat and barley plant breeding.
The workshop was led by the CWRC and facilitated by Synthesis. The gathered stakeholders agree that wheat and barley plant breeding is at an inflection point and now is the time to think big about the future for wheat and barley in Western Canada.
All participants agree on the following shared vision for the future:
The Western Canadian wheat and barley plant breeding system is thriving and innovation- driven, where collaboration and competition coexist to attract diverse investment and provide farmers with choice in superior, field-ready varieties that meet the needs of our end use customers.
The path forward to achieving this shared vision is still fluid but the convened stakeholders identified 9 guiding principles that can be used to evaluate options and decisions that lead the sector towards the future.
The optimal wheat and barley plant breeding system will:
- Deliver Superior Field-Ready Varieties
Deliver superior field-ready varieties that provide choice to support the market and meet the needs of end use customers. - Technology Driven Innovation
Have the capacity to integrate the most advanced breeding technologies, testing/screening methods and data science to enable efficient delivery of improved varieties. - Leverages Farmer Investments
Recognizes and leverages the long-term investments made by farmers. - Enables Competition & Collaboration
Enables competition and collaboration to drive innovation and farmer choice. - Provides Stable Long-Term Investment
Provides reliable, long-term public and private investment in plant breeding programs - Enables a Return on Investment
Have the capacity to deliver a sustainable return on investment (ROI). - Attracts Investment & Talent
Attracts investment and talent into the Canadian plant breeding system from both domestic and global sources. - Connected Across the Plant Genetics Improvement Continuum
Connected with strong feedback loops and collaboration focused on delivering measurable results for farmers. - Supportive Regulatory & Commercialization System
Supported by a regulatory and commercialization system that is responsive to the needs of farmers and end users.
Representatives from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada also attended the workshop and are pleased to see key plant breeding stakeholders engaged. AAFC looks forward to continued collaboration with these and other stakeholders.
Discussions will continue and additional stakeholders will be engaged in the coming months as part of the process to create the optimal future for Western Canadian wheat and barley plant breeding.
-30-
For more information:
Tyler Difley
Canadian Wheat Research Coalition
403-404-8967
tyler@colesag.com
Serra McSymytz
Canadian Barley Research Coalition
306-241-6172
smcsymytz@saskbarley.com
Kelly Funke
Seeds Canada
204-979-5083
kfunke@seeds-canada.ca
Crystal Jorgenson
University of Manitoba, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
204-474-9435
Crystal.Jorgenson@umanitoba.ca
Ashley Trask
University of Saskatchewan
306-966-4522
ashley.trask@usask.ca
For more information:
Jill McDonald
CBRC President
306-370-7237
jmcdonald@saskbarley.com