Seed E-News

July 8, 2010

Welcome to the electronic newsletter of the American Seed Trade Association(ASTA) for members, allies and stakeholders. Please feel free to forward the 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 Julie Douglas at ASTA. Past issues can be viewed here .

In This Issue • ASTA News • FuSE

ASTA News

ASTA recognizes long-standing contributor to Mexican-American seed industry

The American Seed Trade Association during their 127^th Annual Convention honored Arcadio Lozano Martinez with the Lifetime Honorary Membership Award for his dedication and life service to the industry.

"The award is one of the highest awards given out by the Association and it's designed to recognize untiring service to the Association, as well as the seed industry," said Andy LaVigne, ASTA president and CEO. "Arcadio is very deserving of this award."

Martinez has a long history of leadership in the seed industry. Prior to serving as president of the Mexican Seed Trade Association from 1995-1997 and again in 2002, he worked with government officials and Mexican Congressman to get the 1991 Seed Act approved, which eliminated the need for variety registration with a three-year period of previous evaluation by government and allowing the private industry to proceed with research activities.

In 1994, he advocated for AMSAC in cooperation with Mexico to the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), for the passing of the Federal Vegetable Variety Law, which protects the rights over new varieties.

"His efforts and leadership in the seed industry have helped solve many challenges, especially in the phytosanitary and importation arena," said Jerry Monk, ASTA chairman who recognized Martinez. "During his time at AMSAC, he was fundamental in helping form the Seed Association of Americas.

"Arcadio is known as a very honest person and one that is true to his work. He is well respected by Mexican government officials and policymakers. They often call upon him to get an accurate and unbiased picture of the issue."

Monk said his integrity has not only directly helped ASTA better understand the seed industry from Mexico's point of view, but also helped the U.S. seed industry develop a better working relationship with Mexico.

Martinez served as the AMSAC representative to ASTA from 2004-2009.

At the beginning of this year, Martinez began to chart a new path and currently serves as the business development manager for Sunrise Produce LLC, based out of Guadalajara. Prior to that, he was the general manager for Sakata Seed de Mexico from 1995-2009 and has held many other positions. He has worked for Semillas Hibridas (DeKalb) as their commercial director, Hibridos Mexicanos (Pioneer) as a sales manager, Semillas Growers as a sales manager, and La Hacienda (Pioneer) as a research assistant and regional sales manager.

USDA's McElvaine honored by seed industry for distinguished service

The American Seed Trade Association honors Marcus McElvaine of the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the 2010 Distinguished Service Award during their 127^th Annual Convention.

Currently a senior export specialist on the Phytosanitary Issue Management (PIM) staff, McElvaine develops policies and procedures for the Export Certification Program. McElvaine originally joined USDA in 2000 as a plant protection and quarantine officer at the Port of Blaine, Wash.

"Marcus has proven himself to be approachable and responsive to the needs of the seed industry, yet fair in his role as a federal regulatory official," said Jerry Monk, ASTA chairman. "He has provided leadership in the resolution of many phytosanitary issues associated with the international movement of seed, which has saved the industry millions of dollars that would have otherwise been lost due to shipments being unnecessarily destroyed or lost markets.

"ASTA and its members are especially grateful for the periodic conference calls with Marcus and his staff that have greatly improved communications and timely resolution of problems."

In 2003, he moved to Memphis, Tenn., to undertake a new challenge working out of the FedEx facility for the Department of Homeland Security as an agricultural specialist. Then in April of 2005, McElvaine returned to USDA in Riverdale, Md., where he assumed duties on the PIM staff as an export specialist covering Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.

In 2008, he was designated by USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to be the liaison between ASTA and the APHIS staff. In this role McElvaine provides expertise and coordination among APHIS staff specialists as well as foreign governments and the states on all export certification issues and ensures proper APHIS staff are involved in all other phytosanitary matters. He coordinates activities on behalf of the seed industry with the Department of Homeland Security and other APHIS specialists on seed import issues.

"This award is a great honor and I am pleased to receive it, but I am just doing what I was put in place to do," McElvaine said. "My goal everyday when I go to work is to help make sure that our export markets remain open and that the proper regulations and policies are in place to facilitate trade."

ASTA members met with researchers from native seed center to listen and learn

Nearly 50 seed industry representatives visited the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to observe, interact, educate and reinforce a joint commitment to providing quality seed for uses such as land reclamation, roadside rehabilitation and turf.

Participants learned about on-going research efforts at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, which is designed to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants and landscapes.

"Our job is to increase public demand for native wildflowers, plants and sustainable landscapes," said Damon Waitt, Ph.D., senior botanist at the wildflower center. "We hope that demand turns into supply from your members and so far I'm encouraged by the growth we've seen in this sector of the seed industry."

The field trip, a part of the American Seed Trade Association's 127^th Annual Convention, included members from ASTA's Environmental and Conservation Seed Committee and the Lawn Seed Division whose missions, respectively, are to provide quality seed for the purposes of conservation, land reclamation, restoration and rehabilitation, as well as athletic fields and residential areas.

Participants toured plots, heard about research efforts on roadside vegetation and rehabilitation, and saw experiments with plant materials on roofs and different variations. One of the topics of discussion was the ability to target invasive species without harming native plants via over-seeding, which eliminates herbicide use.

"Over-seeding effectively out competes the invasive weed species," said Mark Asher, one of the researchers who presented during the field trip. "By using native seed, contractors and governments can both save money."

David Lundell who serves as chairman of ASTA's Lawn Seed Division said the field trip was an overall success.

"It facilitated dialogue with researchers at the wildflower center and today communication between industry and researchers is key," Lundell said. "It's beneficial for us to learn about their research projects and beneficial for them to learn about what products are commercially available or coming down the pipeline."

Lundell, who represents New Seed, Inc., said they recognized a disconnect between industry and research while there. This only reinforces the point that we need to have dialogue and discussion, he said.

"The researchers at the wildflower center need to take practicality into consideration, such as traffic," Lundell said. "From a commercial standpoint, we need to do a better job at putting products on the market that require less of the environment or fewer resources."

Lundell emphasized the importance of the research being done, but believes the researchers need to realistically consider what can be done from a commercial side.

Staff from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center advise municipalities and departments of transportation on land reclamation. "We need to work with seed companies to get the right mixes," Waitt said.

Public fears about science and food unwarranted, seed industry has a role to play

Michael Spector, a reporter and author of the book "Denialism," expressed his concern about the public's fear of science including vaccinations and genetically engineered food and their role in society today at the American Seed Trade Association's 127^th Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

"People are anxious about the future and they don't understand who is right and who is wrong," Spector said. "Nothing in the world is without risk and this is something that American agriculture doesn't address.

"There is risk. When we get in a car, 50,000 of us are going to die just this year. That doesn't stop us from driving. Whatever our actions are, there are pluses and minuses that must be weighed."

Spector said genetically engineered food has been planted for 20 plus years on numerous hectares.

"Another word for genetically modified food is 'food,'" he noted. "Everything has been enhanced thru time-keeping the good and getting rid of the bad. Genetically engineered food is just a more precise way of doing that."

Agriculture and the seed industry have products with benefits that are truly remarkable, he pointed out.

"The seed industry has the tools that almost no other industry has," Spector told convention attendees, who werre gathered June 26-30 to discuss and learn about seed industry issues. "There are tremendous achievements such as engineering foods to have fewer fats and healthier oils, in a nation that is so addicted to food, is outstanding."

Spector explained that there are plants that have been modified with vitamins that would help many people in developing countries around the world, but they are rejected based on fears.

"This is a way to feed people who need to eat food," Spector stated. "But, opposition is so severe and so fierce that it stops plants from going into the ground. Vitamin A rice is one example. There is a severe deficiency of Vitamin A, but opposition has put a stop to planting the Vitamin A enhanced rice. Products and developments such as these would save millions of human lives."

While reporting and writing about scientific issues, Spector observed that people cling to what they believe is reason to deny or run away from something.

"Like every technology, things can be used for good or bad," he said. "Technology moves us forward, not backward."

He defined "denialism" as embracing fiction instead of the reality of every day.

"We embrace it because the alternative makes us angry," Spector explained.

Businesses in the agricultural world that want to get their products accepted need to do a better job, he said.

"For too long, scientists, agricultural people, pharmacists and government have believed if science is on your side then that's enough," Spector said. "That's not the case. Look at vaccinations. Why is half of the United States not vaccinating their children for whooping cough? Eventually polio could come back. Why? Because it is in other parts of the world and we have airplanes. This could happen if we don't start doing a better job.

"We could pretend this isn't a problem but that is disgraceful and it's fooling people. We need to move away from embracing fear to embracing reality."

Spector believes that in order for people to embrace reality, the scientific and agricultural communities need to start talking.

"Pharmaceutical companies are terrible about this," he said. "They are in such a defensive crouch; they don't want to talk about anything. Others will talk and those who talk and communicate get their story across."

Agriculture has an amazing story, but people don't understand it, Spector mentioned. He encouraged convention attendees and others in the agricultural community to start talking.

"Get out there and talk about what you are doing and what your products do," he said. "We have a semantic problem and we need to address it. Reach out and talk to kids. Talk to everyone.

"Talk about what would happen if there wasn't farming. Talk about what the world would look like without roads, without automobiles. I know what that world is like, because I spend a lot of time in Africa. When tomatoes grow, they go bad because farmers can't get them to the market."

For a billion people to go to bed hungry every night in this world and for us to try to prevent that situation from changing is an enduring shame, he said.

"We've got the science and we can change this, but it will never happen or be accepted if we don't talk about it," Spector explained. "We have to be willing to acknowledge and talk about the theoretical risks. It's scary. There are downsides and we need to be willing to talk about them. I believe the benefits far outweigh the downsides."

While the economy works to rebuild itself; agriculture remains on top

Agriculture, with the exception of pork and dairy has been and remains a bright spot in the economy, according to one agricultural economist.

"Agricultural commodities remain an asset, but the U.S. dollar is fluctuating and markets are searching for direction," said Terry Barr, a senior director at CoBank who spoke June 28, 2010, to seed industry representatives at the American Seed Trade Association's 127^th Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

Barr said agriculture is a robust economy and acres are certainly not coming down. "The real challenge is keeping up with the growing demand on the ethanol side," he said. "As businesses providing a service, know that you are selling to a sector that is financially strong."

The challenges, he pointed out, are consolidation and the expectations put on technology.

"Will technology be able to produce that next big jump in yield that is being discussed by the industry," Barr asked.

The industry is making great strides and advances and has many tools in its pockets, he said. Barr explained that we can continue to see an acreage shift in the United States.

"As the technology changes, the pattern of where you plant certain crop changes and creates more opportunities," he pointed out. "The market is so strong on the grain side, I think it is going to be a huge plus for the grain industry."

Barr recognized the potential for the seed industry to take the technology to a global level. "There are a lot of opportunities, especially in the Asian markets," he said.

In terms of the general economy, Barr expects it to take several years to recover and hopes that the economy recovers slowly and over a period of several years instead of rapid growth increasing the likelihood of a double-dip recession.

He said the housing market and the unemployment rate remain sore spots in the economy; however land values are only going to increase with time.

Access to convention materials coming soon

Proceedings from the American Seed Trade Association's 127th Annual Convention will be posted next week. A link will be included in the next newsletter.

Photos and brief updates are posted on ASTA's Facebook page, Flickr and Twitter. For questions or help accessing something, please don't hesitate to call the office at 703-837-8140 and ask for Julie Douglas, director of communications.

Future Seed Executive (FuSE)

Seed industry names Indiana's Doug Hubner as "Future Giant"

Together the American Seed Trade Association's Future Seed Executives (FuSE) in partnership with Seed World honored Doug Hubner of West Lebanon, Ind., with the 2010 Future Giants of the Seed Industry Award at ASTA's 127^th Annual Convention.

 "This award recognizes a young individual who shows the potential to make a significant contribution in the seed industry," said Shawn Brook, president of Issues Ink's Seed World. "His outreach to farmers through crop clinics, field days and grower presentations throughout the Corn Belt has led to an ongoing and very significant increase in the number of growers now profiting from Hubner products."

Hubner, an Indiana native, grew up in the seed industry working at his family's seed business. He developed a passion for the industry at an early age.

"I always knew I wanted to be in this industry," Hubner said. "I learned early on that the industry had a spot for whatever passion I had-whether it was in marketing, sales or production agriculture. The question for me was in what capacity."

The 27-year old graduated from Purdue University in 2005 with an agronomic business and marketing degree. Since then, he has dedicated himself to the training and development of Hubner employees, providing them with the information and motivation to succeed in helping farmers apply the latest in corn biotechnology and germplasm for their farms.

"At Hubner Seeds, we strive to deliver innovative personalized solutions that improve the profitability of our local ag communities," he said. "This is accomplished through trusted local knowledge, personalized service and development, and hiring the best people for our customers."

In 2007, Hubner became the marketing lead for Hubner Seed, a Monsanto ASI company. In 2009, he became part owner of Hubner Industries, a seed corn and soybean production company committed to raising the highest quality products for its customers.

"I am honored by this award and it is great recognition for a few accomplishments so far in my professional life," said Hubner, adding, "But I also see it as a huge responsibility to help drive the industry during the next 30 plus years."

When looking to the future, the seedsman said he will continue to strive to get better as a people leader and is eager to learn more from the experts in the industry today.

"I believe we need to learn from past mistakes so they aren't duplicated," Hubner said. "We have a lot of influential individuals who will be looking to slow down during the next 5-10 years. We need to learn as much as possible from these individuals so we can continue moving the seed industry forward."

The award is given annually to a rising leader who is currently employed in the seed industry or is in the graduation year of his/her post-secondary program and plans to enter the seed industry. Nomination forms for next year's award are available at http://www.seedworld.com.

ASTA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact ASTA at (703) 837-8140.