b'In todays environmentwhere amplification often substitutes for expertiseBob embodies something agriculture needs: earned authority.The Communications Catalyst Behind the FamilyBehind Bob stood his late wife Joanthe familys communications anchor.Joan, a vice-president at the Canadian Cancer Society, helped drive national tobacco-control advocacy. She worked in university public affairs and understood how scientific concepts must be trans-lated for the public to trust them.Shes the reason the kids see the world the way they do, Bob says.Her influence forged communicators. The farm forged credibility. Combined, they shaped the Anderson approach: fact-based, outcome-focused, empathetic. Bob Anderson (far right) with his brothers Doug and Jim growing up on the farm in Dugald.Innovation Only Matters When People Trust ItChris Anderson now serves as generalare thoughtful and insightful and you getShe founded Issues Ink in her 20s manager of DL Seeds, helping drive onethe feeling that he is often drawing on the company that would evolve into of Canadas most important innovationpast experiences and considerations whenSeed Worlds current brandand later pipelines. His entry point was a univer- he makes them. launched Emerging Ag, now one of the sity genetics class that flipped a switch. In meetings, Chris Anderson fre- worlds most respected agricultural policy His career spans DEKALB/ quently becomes the person who bringsand advocacy consultancies.Monsanto, Bayer, Protein Industriesperspective and steadiness to the table, Canada, the Canola Council of Canada,Davison says.A Longtime Collaborators Perspective: and now DL Seeds, where he overseesThrough his engagement, ChrisShe Gets ithybrid development across the Prairies. often fills the role of providing that soberFew people know Robynne on the global Seeing a hybrid he helped developsecond thought, articulating an alternatestage as well as Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, in a farmers field still hits him: Itspoint of view or encouraging people toa Zimbabwe-based scholar, negotiator, rewarding. But building the product isntthink about something that has not yetand agricultural leader who has worked enough. been considered as part of the discussion.with her for more than 15 years across Innovation relies on an ecosystemThese are valuable and important roles toUN platforms, climate negotiations, andgrowers, processors, retailers, grainplay and part of what make Chris effec- continent-wide agricultural initiatives.companies, researchers. And ecosystemstive in what he does. Sibanda describes their professional collapse without trust. overlap as constant: We interface at Its easy to schedule a Teams meet- From Parliament Hill to UN Policy Tablesmost of the major global engagements. ing, he says. Whats hard is creating the and a Global Network of Allies And we compare notes about our farm-trust to talk honestly about risk. Where Chris brings scientific grounding,ing dadsmine is 94 and still on his Trust has become the new currency ofRobynne Anderson brings political preci- farm in Zimbabwe; hers still lives on the influenceand Chris builds it the samesion and global reach. farm in Manitoba. Once a farmer, always steady way his father did. Chriss influ- She began as a House of Commonsa farmer. It grounds you.ence is often defined not by how muchpage, then joined the deputy primeTheir collaboration spans moderating he speaks, but by when he chooses to.ministers office, where an accidentalglobal dialogues, supporting the Alliance As Chris Davison, president andagriculture file became her calling. Shefor a Green Revolution in Africa, co-lead-CEO of the Canola Council of Canada,quickly discovered how little manying bids for Africa-wide events, and work-puts it, Chris is not someone who hasdecision-makers understood abouting shoulder-to-shoulder at the UNFCCC to talk a lot to be heard or to have anfarmingand committed her career toagriculture days and the Committee on impact. His comments and interjectionsclosing that gap. World Food Security in Rome.JANUARY 2026SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA 13'