FEDERAL AND STATE COMPLIANCE COMES FIRST
New West Genetics does not view regulatory compliance as a gray area. We set out with the intention to abide by regulations, whether it be financial, employee, safety, seed, or Industrial hemp specific. Initially, in compliance with the 2014 Federal Farm bill section 7606, we remain so for the 2018 Farm Bill and subsequent federal USDA regulations. Selling seed also requires compliance with the Federal Seed Act and state seed regulations. This compliance often varies state to state, therefore in each state and country we enter, our first step is to always confirm the regulatory steps and achieve approval from those agencies for all activities whether it be marketing, labeling, or sales.
NWG is also at the industry forefront of compliance with the Federal Seed Act – all seed sold is labeled according to all requirements in the act. Early in the industry, multiple claims (“100% feminized”, “high germination” “Compliant”, etc.) were proven wrong at harvest, and farmers were left shouldering the fallout. This put an early strain on our industry and is why NWG pursues 3rd party validation that our seed performs as we say, every time. Thankfully, this is rarely an issue in today’s market.
Initially in the industry, increasing cannabinoids was the primary valued target for mid and end markets. NWG first and foremost focused on cannabinoid stability so compliance wouldn’t be an issue for farms. As a result, all NWG genetics are stable and compliant with federal law, with multiple years of data from State Departments of Ag and commercial demonstration. We are proud to say that not once has a customer had a non-compliant crop with our seed. Ensuring compliance took longer to get product commercialized but has paid off with a reputation for diligence and earned trust.
In short, working in a de-regulated industry required persistence, research, and flexibility to change as regulations shifted. Much of that included NWG response, lobbying, and advice to the agencies, resulting in trusted relationships with those charged with ever shifting initiatives. We appreciate our relationships whether it be state departments of Ag, USDA, AOSCA, or seed growers’ associations. We couldn’t have developed our quality products without them. See below for a description of the seed regulatory environment and our AOSCA qualifying products.
What is the Federal Seed Act?
1939 Federal Seed Act: recognized need for official seed certification standards, and for truth in labeling, to protect the consumer.
To qualify as a seed certifying agency, the regulatory entity must meet or exceed standards defined in the FSA.
Essentials:
• Must have quality statements
• All labeling + advertisements must be truthful
• Must keep records
Purpose:
• Protect consumer
• Promote uniformity between states, which promotes fair competition
NWG sells AOSCA certified seed:
AOSCA is the seed certifying entity that enacts the US Federal Seed Act- they create the crop standards under which a seed lot can qualify to be “Certified”. Certified seed is the progeny of foundation or registered seed stocks and is subject to rigorous testing and quality control to ensure the genetic purity, weed absence, uniformity for harvest, and maintains specific standards for each crop.
Most crop seed sold to farmers in the US is Certified.
AOSCA enacts the validation of those standards through its member organizations, or your local seed certifying agency. In some states it is the Crop Improvement Association, in some it’s a Seed Growers Organization, in others it may be the local Ag University. Certified seeds are labeled by that local Certifying agency. Once seed has been Certified, it qualifies for the official “blue” Certified seed tag and meets state, federal and international seed law requirements.
Seed certification is not a one-and-done process. Every single seed lot must be produced according to AOSCA Standards to earn the Certified seed tag or label. Early in the Certified seed pipeline, the seed breeder or producer submits proof to their local seed certifying agency including documentation they will be planting pure seed of a recognized variety. The agency inspects the field during the growing season to confirm that the plants are uniform and true to type for that variety, and the seed grower uses good management practices to ensure that genetic purity is maintained from planting all the way to seed conditioning and packaging. Regardless of class of seed, all seed is 3rd party sampled to ensure tags represent the current quality of the lots.
In some states, like Colorado, the State Department of Agriculture or the agriculture university will test and validate that the variety’s is stable and compliant, in addition to Seed Certification. These are two separate processes. Just because a seed demonstrates compliance does NOT mean it is also AOSCA certified, or vice versa. Be sure to look for both the 3rd party validation of compliance, as well as official Certification.
Currently, New West Genetics offers four varieties that have been Certified, sold under the NWG ABOUND brand. All four are dioecious dual-purpose grain and fiber varieties that have been validated for compliance by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. See variety descriptions here. Request compliance results here.
NWG’s hybrids with the AMPLIFY trait entered Seed Certification trials in the 2024 season, and qualified. See descriptions here.