What is ICIA?

Iowa Crop Improvement Association (ICIA) is a nonprofit organization that has been designated as the official seed certifying agency for the State of Iowa. The organization was first formed in 1902 and was renamed Iowa Crop Improvement Association in 1950 following the merger of several other agricultural organizations. ICIA has been providing Iowa with quality, unbiased seed production services and crop performance testing services since 1920.

The mission of the Iowa Crop Improvement Association is to provide an unbiased source of service and education in production and quality assurance for Iowa agricultural crops. Its objectives are as follows:

--To provide mechanisms for conducting domestic and international seed certification and seed quality assurance.
--To provide educational and leadership opportunities to influence public policy regarding crop improvement.
--To conduct, in cooperation with Iowa State University College of Agriculture, testing and disseminating information on the adaptation and performance of crop hybrids and varieties.
--To coordinate all Iowa Crop Improvement Association activities to be consistent with environmentally sound agricultural practices.
--To provide a mechanism for commodity identity preservation.

ICIA’s membership is composed of farmers, seed producers and others interested in crop improvement. The Board of Directors is elected from the membership and determines the officers for the organization.

Iowa Crop Improvement Association financially supports the Iowa State University Crops Team, sponsors the Iowa FFA Agronomy Career Development event, offers a summer internship program, and awards five undergraduate scholarships.