Funding will expand agricultural markets in key global regions.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Project (RAPP) recently awareded the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) $1 million in funding. The grant will support efforts to diversify U.S. agricultural exports in regions with increasing purchasing power, including Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and South/Southeast Asia.
“Through international engagement and partnerships, ASTA will continue to advocate across the globe on policy issues that impact the seed sector’s ability to operate and deliver improved seeds to farmers,” president and CEO Andy LaVigne said in a statement on the ASTA website. “By advocating for aligned phytosanitary regulations, intellectual property approaches that spur innovation and streamlined policies for plant breeding innovations (PBI) like genome editing, ASTA will continue to build new market opportunities for the seed sector.”
The RAPP funding aligns with ASTA’s mission to enhance global seed trade by addressing regulatory barriers and promoting innovative technologies that improve agriculture’s efficiency and sustainability.
To learn more about ASTA’s global initiatives, email Sam Crowell, ASTA’s Senior Director, International Programs and Policy.
