AOSA-SCST

At the 2008 AOSA/SCST Annual Meeting the consolidation task force was asked to develop a mission and vision statement describing the benefits of consolidation AOSA and SCST.  Please contact the working group chair if you have any questions or comments about the draft mission and vision statement.

Mission and Vision Statements For a New Combined Seed Testing Organization

Vision of the new organization: 
To serve agriculture in the area of seed testing.

Mission of the new organization:
To serve the seed industry by maintaining and encouraging the highest professional standards and proficiency among its members and promoting uniform seed testing methods through accreditation, research and method development, and maintaining and updating the Rules for Testing Seeds.

The Association will achieve this mission by:

• Educating and accrediting seed technologists
• Developing standardized seed testing methods and maintaining them in the Rules for Testing Seed.
• Producing and distributing educational materials for seed technologists.
• Providing a forum for the exchange of ideas between seed technologists, researchers, and the greater seed industry.

Benefits to AOSA and SCST Members:

• Provides one organization that represents all seed technologists and seed researchers
• Indicates solidarity to the seed industry, North America, and our international colleagues
• Reduces duplication in association administration, leadership, committee work, and is a more efficient use of financial resources
• Enhances the ability to determine seed research needs and conduct research to improve seed testing evaluations through improved communication.
• Better able to develop standardized seed testing methods.

Benefits to the Seed Industry (the term is used to include seed companies, regulatory agencies, certification agencies, etc.)

• Streamlines communication when the industry needs to communicate with seed technologists and laboratories concerning their seed testing needs

• Provides the seed industry with standardized uniform seed evaluation methods
• Continues the high quality research that meets their seed evaluation needs
• Makes available the latest publications for educating and training seed technologists
• Allows for one accreditation system for all of the seed technologists
• A standardized and uniform set of Rules for use in seed quality assessment, seed labeling, seed law enforcement and certification of seed will be developed by one organization