There’s a generational shift happening. In less than eight years, a new generation will step up to replace the seven million people over 65 in Canada. Investing in young leaders is needed now more than ever.
Fortunately for the seed industry, the future’s in good hands.
Germination asked for nominations for 10 leaders in the industry who showcase a drive for bettering the global seed industry. These leaders come from a range of businesses — from multinationals to associations to independent companies. They all have one goal in common: leading the seed sector into the future.
These 10 Next-Gen Leaders were nominated by their managers, their peers, and different seed associations who saw their potential as up-and-coming leaders. Here’s the sixth.
Logan Skori wants to keep the cost of protein low while also increasing the amount of it in plants. He knows More people are trying to add protein into their diets and keeping the cost low is important from a consumer standpoint.
The opportunities to increase protein content don’t stop at peas and soybeans, though — Skori sees possibilities for high protein leafy greens. He also wants to increase plant protein content for livestock feed.
“There’s so many opportunities and different applications for gene editing. We’re being really open minded at this point,” he explains.
Skori leads the Calgary-based AgGene as its chief executive officer. The company is focused on using new plant breeding techniques to increase protein content in important Canadian crops, including canola. AgGene has identified an important cluster of genes which regulate the accumulation of storage proteins.
But it’s not just his technological vision that’s getting him noticed as an industry leader. Skori also recognizes the importance of understanding the regulatory landscape for gene editing and the need to be involved in the discussions.
Gene editing is a rapidly evolving field, and it’s important to ensure that the technology is safe and beneficial for all stakeholders involved. He says. So, AgGene became a member of Seeds Canada recently, and Skori along with AgGene staff visited with Seeds Canada staff during the organization’s recent cross-Canada tour to meeting with members.
“I agree that having a uniform pathway for gene editing regulations across different jurisdictions and countries would be ideal. This would reduce the need for companies to navigate different regulatory processes, which can be time-consuming and costly,” he says.
“That said, achieving this kind of consistency and uniformity is a complex challenge, and involves multiple stakeholders with different interests and priorities. It may take some time to develop a clear and unified regulatory pathway for gene editing.”
In the meantime, Skori believes it’s important for companies to engage in discussions and provide feedback on the regulatory process to help shape a more efficient and effective pathway forward — something he’s leading by example on.
