b'THE FUTURE IS ABOUT BUILDING RESILIENCE A CLOSER LOOK AT CROPLIFE INTERNATIONAL.BY: MARCEL BRUINSSEED WORLD EUROPE (SWE): EMILY, YOUmonths of collaborative work these are very tangi-WHY IT MATTERS HAVE BEEN IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE FORble achievements.Seeing our CropLife International CropLifeOVER A YEAR NOW. WHEN YOU LOOK BACKChairman of the Board, Livio Tedeschi of BASF, International is theAT YOUR TIME AT CROPLIFE INTERNATIONALtake centre stage at the G20 meeting in Cuiab, global voice andSO FAR, WHAT STANDS OUT?Brazil, and sum up the drivers for change as he pre-leading advocateEMILY REES (ER): I came into this association insented the recommendations of the B20 Sustainable for the plantthe spring of 2023 with a background in internationalFood Systems and Agriculture Task Force of which science industry.public policy and a passion for the role that it playshe was a co-chair was a particular highlight. The organizationat the intersection of trade, agriculture and climate. aims to championEighteen months on, I can safely say that this is a innovativesector that absolutely embodies this dynamic. The technologies thatprogress we have made during my tenure in bringing help farmers growagricultural innovation, productivity and the rules-more food onbased trading system to the forefront of the interna-less land and in ational policy agenda has been significant and must sustainable way.be up there as the biggest standouts, though there Representing six ofhave been many!the worlds leadingHaving said that, of course, this has been a multinational R&Dyear and a half of enormous learning. The work of companies inCropLife International and our members covers a vast the plant scienceand diverse range of topic areas, and the sheer pace sector, its primaryof change in agriculture and plant sciences is breath-goals are totaking. Every single day there is something new toChairman of the Board, Livio Tedeschi of BASF (seated onprotect intellectualabsorb, and Im fortunate to be surrounded by spe- the far right) at the G20 meeting in Cuiab, Brazil.property to fostercialists at the top of their game who add to our shared a culture ofunderstanding. Precision and digital agriculture, gene innovation, and toediting techniques, AIthis is cutting-edge changeI also believe that we at CropLife International advocate for tradewith innovation front and centre and an extraordi- have achieved a huge amount in terms of transition-and regulatorynarily exciting place to be. ing into a future-facing association which is fit-for-policies thatIf I had to land on just one real stand out duringpurpose to represent an industry which is leading at facilitate access tothese past 18 months, it would have to be the people.the cutting edge of innovation. Were operating in new technologies.This is an industry filled with remarkable profes- a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape in which Seed Worldsionals who are entirely dedicated to advancing thewords like volatility and fragmentation seem to be our Europe imperatives of mitigating climate change, protectingdaily dialogue. The industry association needs to besat down with Emily Rees,biodiversity and shoring up resilience in our foodable to navigate this landscape intelligently and sensi-the President andsecurity. Whether our members, our CropLife teamstively, and be fleet of foot, responsive and proactive in CEO of CropLifearound the world, or those who partner with us toequal measure, advocating with clarity and substance. International asenhance capacity building through our stewardshipIm confident we are standing ready to meet these she reflected onprogrammes, they are the real heroes of the story! fresh challenges and more.her first 18 months at the helm, theSWE: CAN YOU SHARE A FEW OF CROPLIFESSWE: YOU ARE A WOMAN IN A SECTOR THAT challenges andMAJOR RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS? IS STILL DOMINATED BY MEN. HOW DO YOU achievementsER: Ive already touched on the importance of theDEAL WITH THAT? WHAT HAVE BEEN THE to date, and themultilateral rules-based trading system to agriculturalSTRUGGLES? WHAT ARE SOME TIPS TO OTHER direction of travelinnovation and food security. What we have achievedFEMALE LEADERS ON HOW TO OVERCOME ahead. this year both through the WTO Ministerial back inTHOSE CHALLENGES?January and more recently as the G20 AgriculturalER: Certainly, the gender balance is falling short of Ministers meeting and resulting declaration reflectedwhere it should be in parts of this industry, though SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPEISEED WORLD EUROPE I 7'