b'PARTNER CONTENTSuccessful Joint Ventures Thrive on RespectBy: David PearsonW hen Limagrain started way back in 1965, we were athe world and today have joint ventures in Africa, Australia, farmer cooperative servicing a relatively small geo- China, Europe and North America.graphic area. As we grew over our first 35 years, we stillOne partnership we are especially proud of is with Seed Co, the operated solely in Europe. Then, in 2000, we formed our first jointlargest seed company in Africa. Seed Co got its start in Zimbabwe venture in the United States. Since then, weve grown in multipleand now operates in many African countries. When Limagrain directions and now have 13 highly valued partnerships locatedbecame a shareholder, we became active in the companys day-to-in diverse geographic regions around the world. What have weday strategy and together we created additional joint ventures in learned about partnerships over the last 25 years? A whole lot,South Africa as well as in West and Central Africa. actually.Our success in Africa may surprise some readers. Thats The first and perhaps most important question is: why part- because most European and North Americans impression of ner? Although Limagrain is a relatively large company, there areAfrica centers on three key things: corruption, poverty, and war. times when even a company as large as ours has to admit thatThat perception, fed by media headlines, isnt the whole reality of we arent big enough to do everything, know everything or haveAfrica at all. Its easy to forget that Africa comprises 54 countries, everything it takes to succeed in every region. So, it makes sensemany of which are engaged in a broad range of agricultural en-for us to form collaborative, strategic partnerships in order todeavors. In sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, we do business with meet research or business objectives. Our move into partnershipsabout 25 million small farmers who typically each buy a single didnt happen overnight. It has been an organic process and one2.5 lb (1 kg) bag of seed annually. Our South Africa farmers, on thats accelerated over the past 15 years. the other hand, use a high-tech, large farm model thats virtually While joint ventures have proven pivotal to Limagrainsidentical to the one seen in Canada and the US. growth and reach, working with partners isnt for everyone andEach region has a unique way of doing things but, at the end its not always an easy process. Joint ventures can be complicatedof the day, farmers across the globe need high performance seed and they can take a lot of management time. I like to comparein order to maximize their yields. We form joint ventures with them to marriages: you need to go into partnership with your eyesregional seed companies to ensure they have what they need to open; you must show your partner a huge amount of respect; andsucceed.you have to be willing, at times, to compromise. Joint venturesIf I have learned one thing over the years, its that when con-dont suit every company, but theyve been an excellent fit for us.templating a joint venture, you need to be sure that youre part-Why do partnerships work for us? Limagrain started as anering with a company thats wired for collaboration. Companies, farmers cooperative in 1965. We are owned by farmers and led bylike people, have their own personalities and cultures. Some are farmers.Simply put, cooperation is in our DNA. We have built ourlone wolves. Others are driven by cooperation. Partner with the business by acquiring or partnering with seed companies aroundright company and everyone wins.OCTOBER 2024SEEDWORLD.COM /19'