b'Todd Martin, CEO of IPSA. Garrett Stoerger, partner at VerdantColin Steen, CEO of Legacy Agripartners.Partners.backward for our industry and for farmers, says Colin Steentheir access to genetics, Martin explains. A key difference CEO, Legacy Agripartners. So, I see some of the way its beingbetween the U.S. and say, Canada, is the approach to selling. In done as positive. It can give life to a brand beyond the life of thethe U.S., independent seed companies can license and sell the current owners. same genetic package, they cant in Canada. Thats tough and it Despite numerous announcements over the past decade,minimizes competition.experts say merger and acquisition activity isnt any more activeGenetic licensing is a key part of independent seed company than theyd expect. When compared to theheyday of the latebusinesses, and continued access to variety is needed. Corn and 1990s and early 2000s, its down significantly, and not likely tosoybean genetics are widely licensed in the U.S., and while it spike to an incredible degree. might be the same DNA, Martin says companies can differentiate For corn and soybean companies, activity has been downtheir offer with other services.for the past eight years comparatively, says Garrett Stoerger,They might be the same genetics, but the value proposition partner at Verdant Partners. These latitudinal moves in theis altogether different, different quality, different seed treatments market are actually pretty healthy because for a lot of theseand different sales approaches, he explains.companies its a form of succession planning and a way to stay in the business. A Shrinking Labor PoolThat said, hes keeping an eye on the vegetable seed indus- Undoubtedly, one of the growing challenges for anyone in try. Theres high demand but incredibly low supply of vegetablebusiness is labor shortages. From internal staffing shortages breeding companiesits a sellers market in that sector. to shortages in the supply chain, labor challenges are affecting how everyone does business.Differentiation is Paramount The challenge for independents is proving that smaller and Independent seed companies are faced with many of the samelocal companies can provide opportunities for employees they challenges seen across the industry: access to talent and thecant find elsewhere.need for differentiation. For independents, however, the chal- Labor is a big struggle of ours, no different than anyone lenges are exasperated by having fewer resources than multi- else, Steen says. There are fewer of us in the company and national competitors. that means we provide a wider variety of work experience. And One of our biggest challenges is how do we differentiatetheres a connection to leadership throughout because we want from other independent seed companies? Steen says. We allto hear all ideas.rely on the same or similar sources for germ plasm and traits, soWhile the competition for labor is fierce, the seed industry not only do we need to differentiate from those providers butcontinues to find innovative ways to lure talent. From flexible also from each other. schedules to work-from-home and hybrid environments, to He suggests taking the time to figure out what each companyexpanded benefits, the seed industry continues to find innova-can highlight as a key strength, including: tive ways to attract talent.Customer experience Seed handling and conditioning Strong Future Seed treatment options While challenges are ever-present for independent seed compa- Local knowledge base nies, theyre committed to the industry. Crop specialties We do have a lot of challenges: differentiation, aging owner-Bookend these differentiators by selecting high qualityship, etc. Steen says. But to sum it all up, its worth the fight to genetic and trait packages that suit the needs of the farmer instay in it. We provide a really important service for farmers and that area. Steen notes that once companies discover what theirlocal communities.SWkey differentiating factor is, take that messaging from the CEOs desk to the field to ensure unified conversations. WHERE Interested in how to better find candidates to combat the labor shortage? I think [another] key piece we have to recognize is thatON THEat seedworld.com/three-ways-to-Check out this episode of Seed Speaksindependents are under an enormous amount of pressure fromWEB find-better-candidates-for-ag-jobs.8/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2022'