Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Page 128 Page 129 Page 130 Page 131 Page 132 Page 133 Page 134 Page 135 Page 136 Page 137 Page 138 Page 139 Page 140 Page 141 Page 142 Page 143 Page 144 Page 145 Page 146 Page 147 Page 148Seed World: What are you reading now, and why? Charles Miller: I am currently re-reading “Guns, Germs and Steel” by Jared Diamond. The book is a history of the world and how various cultures and industries developed. Every time I read a chapter I gain a new insight into what might have hap- pened in our history, and it inspires me to think about what we could do differently now to improve the sustainability of the agriculture industry going forward. SW: What concerns you most about the global sorghum seed industry? CM: In my opinion, the limited global investment in new technology for sorghum is my biggest concern. Sorghum is the fifth-largest consumed grain on the planet, yet you could count the number of focused sorghum breeders globally on the hands of two people. Sorghum is more challenging to breed than some other crops and has been passed over by many seed companies, but with new breeding techniques we can have a tremendous impact on sorghum. Hopefully the few companies that still focus on sor- ghum will be empowered by global governments to make those advancements.  SW: What is your No. 1 hobby, and how does it help you in your work? CM: I truly enjoy hiking and fishing — if I can combine a good walk in the woods with fishing, then even better. The quiet allows me to relax and think creatively about the global farming issues we are facing and how I can play a role in solving those issues. SW: What do you never travel without? CM: I never leave without a rain jacket and field boots. You never know what weather you will face when you get to the countryside or some far-off continent. I never want to miss the chance to meet with farmers and see their fields because I didn’t come prepared. SW: What do you like most about sales? CM: I don’t think of it as sales, but rather as development. I like to understand the local challenges growers face and provide sorghum as a solution whenever possible — providing solutions is very fulfilling. SW: What do you dislike most about sales? CM: I’m a competitive person and don’t like to miss any potential sale. It can also be frustrating when the team misses an opportunity to get new hybrids that can solve issues locally for farmers due to overly complex and burdensome seed registration or phytosanitary rules. This is why it is important to work with ASTA and other regional seed organizations so we can lobby to harmonize rules to facilitate trade, and in tandem, more quickly bring new technology to those farmers that need it most. SW: Why sorghum? CM: As I said earlier, sorghum is the fifth-most consumed grain crop in the world and receives little attention. As we shift globally to Western diets, we will have limited supplies of water and be forced into harsher environments where crops will need to cope. Sorghum is the perfect crop in this situation. It’s at home in challenging environments, and with proper farming techniques, can provide improved value and sustainability for farmers around the world. SW: No. 1 piece of management advice? CM: It is very important in my opinion to build consensus among your team and have local buy-in to remain focused and efficient. You need to be efficient in agriculture to capture the opportunities we are given, and more importantly to create our own opportunities. SW WORKING IN THE WORLD OF SORGHUM Charles Miller is vice president of business development and international sales for Chromatin, which develops and sells hybrid sorghum seed for traditional agriculture markets and for uses in new applications such as sustainable fuels. 106 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2016