Seed E-News

April 20 , 2007

Welcome to ASTA's electronic newsletter for members, allies and stakeholders. Please feel free to forward Seed E-News to others you believe might wish to receive news about the seed industry. Questions, comments and your industry news are welcome — contact Lisa Dry at ASTA.

Past issues can be viewed here .

New USDA Reports
• 4/16 USDA/ERS China Agricultural and Economic Data
• 4/19 USDA/ERS U.S. Ag Trade Data Update
• 4/19 USDA/ERS U.S. Vegetables and Melons Outlook

Bernard Le Buanec (left) and Marcel Bruins discussing the Secretary General position in Zurich.

ISF Names Plant Breeder as Secretary General Designate

Marcel Bruins has been named as the Secretary General Designate of the International Seed Federation to succeed Bernard le Buanec who will retire in May 2008.

Marcel Bruins completed his initial studies in plant breeding and pathology at the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands in 1989. Based on research he did on fusarium resistance in wheat at Plant Research International, he was awarded his Ph.D. in 1998. He was responsible for the patent portfolio of a large research institute for a number of years and then moved to Rotterdam to work at the Innovation Centre for Inventions where he was active in the commercial aspects of agricultural and biotech inventions. Since 1998 he has been involved in intellectual property and plant variety protection with Seminis Vegetable Seeds. Most recently he held the position of Manager Plant Variety Protection at Seminis Vegetable Seeds Holland B.V.

Former Apple Executive to Keynote ASTA 124th Convention

Guy Kawasaki, a founding member of the Macintosh team at Apple Corporation, will provide the keynote address at ASTA's 124th Annual Convention in Broomfield, Colo. Kawasaki, part of the team credited with the success of the Macintosh Computer, will officially open the meeting on Mon., June 25, during the General Session.

Kawasaki is a managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm and a columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine. He is also the author of eight books, including The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way. Kawasaki's presentation will provide ASTA members with strategic steps to create new products and services, and include case studies of several world-class companies that provide a roadmap to how one can thrive within a changing marketplace and move from ideas to action.

Other confirmed speakers include Arlen Lancaster (left) , Chief of the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) who will address the Environmental and Conservation Seed Committee and Kevin Morris, President of the National Turfgrass Federation who will speak to the Lawn Seed Division.

Online registration for the June 23-27 conference is available. To register, visit the Convention registration page. Members will be instructed to enter a username and password to receive the discounted member rate. If you do not have the required information, please contact Jennifer Lord. Once registered for the conference, you may make a hotel reservation; the discounted group rate ends June 1.

The Omni is located between the Denver and Boulder and approximately 30 minutes from Denver International Airport. It is highly recommended that you rent a car using the discounted ASTA rate available through Enterprise Rent-a-Car. (Securing the optional insurance on your rental car is also suggested as cracked windshields are common for the area due to the rocky terrain.) For questions or assistance, please contact Nikki Clifford either by email or phone (571) 431-7331.

Gates Foundation and Government of Norway Award $37.5 Million in Grants to Preserve Seed Diversity

This week, the Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) received the largest grant in its history, a $30 million package from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. According to GCDT Executive Director Cary Fowler, the Trust will utilize the funds over a four-year period to:

• Rescue/regenerate 95% of the threatened, unique diversity of 21 crops held in developing countries - more than 165,000 unique types;
• Place nearly a half million unique seed samples in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault near the North Pole, as a fail-safe insurance policy against catastrophic loss in seed banks around the world;
• Develop a global database and information system that will make it possible for plant breeders to search collections of crop diversity worldwide to identify and obtain the breeding stock they need.

The Gates grant, made in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, included $7.5 million for the Trust's endowment, contingent upon finding a donor willing to match this amount. Fowler announced that the the Government of Norway has agreed to be this donor, bringing the total value of the gift to $37.5 million.

State of the States ...

Massachusetts. A few bills have popped up that require attention. The first, H 865 by Rep. Frank I. Smizik bans genetically modified crops designed to produce industrial, biological or drug products. It defines genetically modified crops as crops produced from plant varieties created using techniques that alter the molecular or cell biology of the plant variety by means that are not possible under natural conditions or processes.

The next bill, H 874, requires seed manufacturers to label genetically modified seeds sold in the state and provide annual reports of the sales. The labeling would require the identity of the seed, relevant traits or characteristics of the seed that cause it to be defined as genetically engineered, plus any legal requirements or recommended precautions for their safe handling, storage, transport, and use; the contact point for further information and, as appropriate, the name and address of the manufacturer, distributor, or supplier of such seed.

House Bill 875 would ban all genetically engineered crops and seed until the commissioner of agriculture declares that they are scientifically "safe".
Obviously, ASTA will monitor these bills and provide scientifically-based information to the legislative committee members prior to their hearings in July.

New York. A07362 would require all samples of seeds entered for certification to be obtained by a person approved by the certification agency and then be submitted to the New York state seed laboratory for testing. As a result of the scope of the inquiries from seedsmen, the sponsor agreed to remove the bill from the committee hearing agenda until more study can be conducted.

For more information on state legislative issues contact Pat Miller.

FuSE to Hold Round Table Call May 23

ASTA's Future Seed Executives (FuSE) subcommittee will hold a Round Table Discussion Group (RTDG) conference call on May 23 at 10 a.m. central time, to focus on Management Skills, specifically Managing New Talent. The moderator will be Betty Jones, Associate Director for the Center for Food and Agricultural Business at Purdue University. New topics can also be introduced for discussion by those on the call and interaction is highly encouraged. The RTDG is part of a series of quarterly conference calls moderated by senior seed industry leaders and is aimed at educating future seed executives on events and topics in the seed industry.

The cost to participate is $10 per person ($15 for non-ASTA members) and upon registration, the call-in number and pass-code will be issued. Click here to download the registration form. Please contact Alexis Ellicott or Jim Schweigert with any questions, or to suggest future RTDG topics. To facilitate interaction the calls will be limited to the first 12 participants to register.

FuSE Hosts Sold Out Educational Unit at Dow AgroSciences

Dow AgroSciences hosted the first Future Seed Executives (FuSE) Educational Unit of the year on March 30. The event was attended by over 35 individuals from a wide array of ASTA member companies. FuSE Educational Units are one-day events co-hosted by ASTA members and a local university. Dow, along with co-host Purdue University, coordinated an excellent seminar in its state-of-the-art facilities in Indianapolis, Ind.

The event was opened by two Dow employees, Ben Kaehler, Traits and Germplasm Licensing Leader and Steve Thompson, Global Research Leader for Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, who gave a brief overview of Dow and the innovative products in its pipeline. Participants and leaders then toured various sections of the Dow complex, which included discussions on the penetration of biotechnology in the market place, animal health, and the process of creating elite genetics. The remaining portion of the day revolved around team leadership. The team leadership tutorial was facilitated by Dow's Matt Benson, North American Market Sell Lead. This energetic, interactive, and vigorous section of the day was very beneficial to the attendees and emphasized the importance of building and maintaining a productive team. "This is exactly what the seed industry needs! It was an open forum where ideas flowed." said first-time participant Matt Schweigert of Gro Alliance.

FuSE thanks Dow and Purdue University for the outstanding job of co-hosting this Educational Unit.

Around the Agencies ...

Cindy Smith is named Associate Administrator for USDA APHIS. The agency includes the plant protection and quarantine program; veterinary services program; wildlife services program; animal care program and the biotechnology regulatory services program. Smith replaces Nick Gutierrez, who is a member of the Foreign Service and accepted APHIS' regional director position in Mexico City. Most recently Smith served as deputy administrator for the Biotechnology Regulatory Services (BRS) of APHIS.

Melissa M. Simpson is named USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment. As deputy under secretary, Simpson will be responsible for policy relating to the programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service.

Dr. Debbie Edwards has been selected to be the Director of the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) at the Envrionmental Protection Agency (EPA). Dr. Edwards is currently serving as the Director of the Special Review and Reregistration Division within OPP. She has been with EPA for 22 years, most of which she has served in senior level supervisory or management positions.

Company News and People on the Move ...

The newest installment of Seed World's video series, Giant Views of the Industry Online, features Bryan Gerard, President of JGL Inc. and Chair of the ASTA's Stewardship Committee. In this installment, Gerard discusses the macro trends in seed, including seed's role in some of the current economic, environmental, health and nutrition issues; how biofuels will affect soybeans; what it will take to get investment in wheat breeding; and the need for industry stewardship, among other topics.

Mid-West Seed Services, Inc., Brookings, S. Dakota, will host a seed technologist training workshop May 14-18, and a seed sampling training session May 23-24.

Upcoming Industry Events

BIO International Convention
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
5/6 - 5/9
Boston, MA

Pacific Seed AssociationAnnual Convention
Mariott Hotel, City Center
5/14 - 5/17
Portland, OR

Seed Trade Association of Arizona 15th Annual Meeting
Westward Look Resort
5/17 - 5/18
Tucson, AZ

Click here for a schedule of additional industry events