b'A Voice for the Seed IndustryToo many times, these policy discussions happen behind the curtain. Part of the reason is that the EPA does not want to open the discussion to all the \'crazies\' that are out there. I cant Directly, the EPA exerts control overargue with that. There are requirements under the concept of the products you sell and indirectly hasa Federal Advisory Committee that would require just thata meeting with everyone, regardless of crazy.influence on the price.Unfortunately, this throws the baby out with the bathwater, because it shuts out the industry including the voice of farmers and seed companies and leaves only the registrants of the technology to voice concerns.Fortunately, with new leadership, there is an opening to participate in more discussions with the EPA as an industry.Moving forward to 2020, the EPA announced a new biotechI cant stress to you the importance I believe in having a clear, framework for products that I believe is not in the best inter- direct and transparent dialogue with the EPA. Our industry is est of the industry. Under the cloak of IRM, the EPA can nowcomplex and for those looking from the outside in, it is always pronounce biotech products as "non-functioning" and requiredifficult to understand. The result are silly regulations and different stewardship requirements or even removal of oldunworkable restrictions.products from the market. I believe in proper stewardship of biotechnology. I also believe that we should protect this technol- Balancing Stewardship and Opportunityogy for future generations. I have seen first-hand insects that areTransparently, I have been angry for years at the EPA. I want resistant to products and run amuck in the fields. to see more options for post-patent traits, more genetic My concern here is that the framework has unintendedopportunities, more choices and ultimately lower prices for consequences of blocking potential post-patent products andseed companies and farmers. There has to be a place to discuss precludes looking at alternative control measures. There is a lackthe science involved in IRM with the mechanisms to allow the of a geographic componenttreating crops in all geographiesnormal life of products, which mean changes in economics for the same.companies and farms.SW50/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2025'