Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS)

Association of Official Seed Analysts
AOSA is an organization comprised of member laboratories staffed by certified seed analysts. Such seed testing facilities include official state, federal, and university seed laboratories across the United States and Canada.

Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies
The AOSCA establishes minimum standards for genetic purity and identity and recommends minimum quality standards for classes of certified seed. It also standardizes seed certification regulations and procedures as well as operational procedures in inter-agency seed certification.

Association of American Seed Control Officials
AASCO is an organization of seed regulatory officials from the United States and Canada.

The Bioterrorism Act of 2002
The events of Sept. 11, 2001, reinforced the need to enhance the security of the United States. Congress responded by passing the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act), which President Bush signed into law June 12, 2002.

CGIAR System-Wide Information Network for Genetic Resources
SINGER is the genetic resources information exchange network of the International Agricultural Research Centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. It provides access to information on the collections of genetic resources held by the CGIAR Centers. Together, these collections comprise over half a million samples of crop, forage and tree germplasm of major importance for food and agriculture.

Library of Congress

National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders
Plant breeders play a leading role in the fight against world hunger through research and development of new plants and new varieties. NCCPB is one of the key organizations in this quest.

National Genetic Resources Program
Find out more about the use of germplasm for food and agricultural production through this educational program provided by the USDA.

National Plant Germplasm System
The NPGS is a cooperative effort by public and private organizations to preserve the genetic diversity of plants. The world's food supply is based on intensive agriculture, which relies on genetic.

National Seed Storage Laboratory
The NSSL documents, preserves, and maintains viable seed of diverse plant germplasm in long-term storage, develops and evaluates procedures for determining seed quality of accessions, and distributes seed, when not available from the active collections, for crop improvement throughout the world. It preserves the base collection of the National Plant Germplasm System and conducts research to develop new technologies for preservation of seed and other propagules of plant genetic resources.

Seed Control

Seed Regulatory and Testing Branch, U.S. Department of Agriculture
This branch enforces interstate commerce provisions of the Federal Seed Act and provides seed testing service under the Agricultural Marketing Act. The web site provides links to key regulatory and policy documents related to seed.

Society of Commercial Seed Technologists
The purpose of this society is to maintain and encourage the highest proficiency and professional standards among its members, to promote the best interests of the seed industry and to encourage cooperation between the Official Seed Analysts and the commercial agencies.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

U.S. Department of State on Biotechnology
This site covers global issues in biotechnology with links to key science and policy documents.

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

U.S. Senate

The White House