JANUARY 2019 GERMINATION.CA 71 What is Better Seed, Better Life? This media and public outreach program was started by the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) about four years ago to build a global understanding of the impor- tance of seed and the need to constantly improve it. The program has worldwide reach through partnerships with interna- tional and national seed industry associa- tions and companies. How was it created? ASTA began by gathering information from its members about which mes- sages were critical, and conducted market research about how much importance was then being placed by the general public on seed and seed innovation. ASTA determined that key societal groups such as moms, millennials and foodies did not equate seed innovation with other innova- tions that significantly affect our collec- tive quality of life, such as access to clean drinking water. This is likely because people don’t generally perceive that they interact directly or indirectly with seed innovation on a daily basis. ASTA also learned that among ag educators (and within ag education programs), a focus on the importance of seed and seed innovation was gener- ally missing. The next step was to develop core messages about the benefits of modern seed, the evolu- tion of seed innovation and what innovation means today. This was followed by an industry alignment and various public and govern- mental education initiatives. ASTA received a ‘brand refresh’ involving a new logo and more. What is the focus today? Better Seed, Better Life continues to build international reach through initiatives such as video clips that can be translated into different lan- guages and edited to maximize their relevance for various audiences. The program continues to evolve, with a current focus on the future of plant breeding innovation — familiarizing the public as well as elected officials and government agency staff with technologies such as gene editing. What does Better Seed, Better Life look like in Canada? Three years ago, the Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) was also beginning to examine how to enhance the image of the seed indus- try and build public trust in cost-effective and meaningful ways. CSTA learned that ASTA was doing the same thing and has partnered with it on many fronts.