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 148DECEMBER 2016 SEEDWORLD.COM / 25 MUNICATE. EDUCATE. REPEAT. COMMUNICATE. EDUCATE E.REPEAT.COMMUNICATE.EDUCATE.REPEAT.COMMUNIC . EDUCATE. REPEAT. COMMUNICATE. EDUCATE. REPEAT. OMMUNICATE. EDUCATE. REPEAT. COMMUNICATE. EDU UCATE. REPEAT. COMMUNICATE. EDUCATE. REPEAT. OMMUNICATE. EDUCATE. REPEAT. COMMUNICATE. EDU E.REPEAT.COMMUNICATE.EDUCATE.REPEAT.COMMUNIC . EDUCATE. REPEAT. COMMUNICATE. EDUCATE. REPEAT. T. COMMUNICATE. EDUCATE. REPEAT. COMMUNICATE. EDU NICATE. EDUCATE. REPEAT. COMMUNICATE. EDUCATE. RE “Communications is really the key to everything,” says Risa DeMasi, past president of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) and a founding part- ner of Grassland Oregon. “Sometimes we think we are saying different things, when we are just speaking different languages. How do we cross that barrier and start agreeing with each other instead of disa- greeing?” In 2013, ASTA’s board of directors, also through its strategic planning process, decided to make a significant investment in its communications efforts to develop and implement a comprehensive commu- nications strategy and promote and sup- port ASTA advocacy goals. The objective: Establish ASTA as a key advocate for the U.S. seed industry and as a high-value resource for its members. In 2014-15, a Communications Committee was formed with representa- tives from multinational companies, as well as small and independent companies. Since then, ASTA commissioned a con- sumer survey and from it unveiled a video promoting the benefits of the seed, with specific examples of economic, environ- mental and health benefits. The association also held two com- munications summits, refreshed its branding, launched a new website and is participating in events that help to carry the industry’s message beyond its mem- bers, such as National Agriculture Day in Washington, D.C., and the National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Trade Talk. Today, you’ll see Bethany Shively, ASTA director of communications, and Nikki Barnes, manager of marketing and member outreach, leading these efforts. “We [the seed industry] know we are doing great things, and we have a great story to tell,” says DeMasi, who was tasked with measuring and benchmarking the association’s progress in reaching its goals. “You’ll continue to see more coming out of our Communications Committee — it’s a priority. “When you go to any session or have any conversation, it all comes down to are you communicating and how are we telling our story.” Risso says SAA, too, is focused on its communications efforts and will reveal a new website at the beginning of December. “We do a good job of communicating within the seed industry, but need to do a better job of reaching regulators and the public in general,” he says, noting that each requires the use of different lan- guage and strategies. “For example, our communications with regulators focuses on the science, but in talking to the public, we need to first focus on values and emotion and then bring in the science to support that.” Risso says SAA is working with the seed industry as a whole to support the increasing communications efforts. “This is not new for big companies, but it is new territory for small- and medium-sized companies,” he says. “That’s why you are seeing the hiring of communication experts, the allocating of more money in budgets and increased resources, time and energy expended in this area.” Beyond Associations While this is a relatively new area of focus for associations, the larger seed companies and researchers have been working to tell their story for the better part of a decade but they are finding new ways to pool resources with the hopes of moving the needle. Some of the newest investments include GMO Answers, U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance and the Genetic Literacy Project. GMO Answers was created to do a better job of answering questions from “Sometimes we think we are saying different things, when we are just speaking different languages. How doe we cross that barrier and start agreeing with each other instead of disagreeing?” — Risa DeMasi