A brief history of the organization of the Brazilian Seed Program is presented, and how basic seed production started, at state and national level. The prevalent cultivar breeding, evaluation and recommendation system is described as well as the difficulties with variety description. The objectives, organization, operational strategy, available infrastructure, quality standards, as well as the commercial, technical and financial aspects of the Basic Seed Production Service of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - EMBRAPA, are presented. The present availability of basic seed at adequate amounts and consistent flow, allows to foresee for the near future, the establishment of the Seed Certification Scheme for major crops in all South, Southeast and Central-West States.