The seed industry has an incredible story to tell. In small and giant ways, it is front and center on solving many of the world’s biggest challenges. Yet, let’s be honest: the seed industry doesn’t always do an excellent job of telling its own story. In fact, the seed industry story that consumers, policy makers, job seekers, and the general public hears is often shaped — even controlled — by outside voices.
If the seed industry wants the license to operate — the ability to use the kinds of innovations and draw the kind of people it needs to be effective — it needs to better showcase the public good, from local to global, that it does every day. Effective advocacy and building influence are pivotal parts of getting that story heard.
Next week at the ASTA Field Crop Seed Convention, Seed World Group will be hosting a live panel discussion about how we as individuals, companies, associations, and the collective seed industry can build more influence and meaningfully leverage advocacy. We’ll be tackling big questions: How has the post-pandemic ‘new normal’ changed the nature of influence and advocacy? What’s different looking towards 2024: do we keep doing what we’ve been doing or is it time to change the game? Who should be telling the seed industry story, and is there a ‘right’ (or wrong) way to do it?
Most importantly, we’ll be talking tools: what concrete strategies can we take back to our own roles, regardless of where we fit into the seed value chain, that will allow each of us to better contribute to building the seed industry’s voice?
The panel will be moderated by Seed World Group director of content Madeleine Baerg and will feature three senior seed industry thought leaders:
Ian Miller – CEO of Pairwise
Ian Miller serves as Chief Development Officer for Pairwise. In that role, he oversees the company’s corporate development and corporate operations. He brings diverse technical, operational and deal experience to Pairwise, serving most recently as Chief Business Officer at Epic Sciences. Ian holds a Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from Duke University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and cellular biology from the University of California, San Diego. An avid fan of Duke sports, Ian also enjoys brewing his own craft beer.
Mark Cool – Global Seed Policy Lead at Corteva
Marc Cool is a fifth-generation seedsman. He attended the Agricultural University of Wageningen in the Netherlands where he graduated with a master’s degree in plant breeding and plant pathology. His ~35-year professional career has spanned from working in the alfalfa seed industry in California where he developed new markets for proprietary varieties and technology on a global basis, to moving to Oregon where he worked in the turf and forage grass industry and had sales, marketing and management responsibilities for North and South America, Pacific Rim and Asia. After those professional experiences, Marc worked as GM for an organic vegetable seed company, then spent four years with his family in China with DuPont Pioneer as Director of Marketing and Product Strategy. He is now back in the U.S. in a role within the Corteva Agriscience Public Affairs group, leading global seed policy development, supporting the seed portfolios and leading the company engagements with global seed trade associations, particularly focusing on the global policy environment for genome editing as the latest technology driving innovation for farmers and society.
Sarah Wilbanks, Ph.D. – CEO at the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA)
Sarah Wilbanks serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education from Clemson University, a Master of Science in Agricultural Communications and Leadership from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in Animal Science from Clemson University. She is published in several peer reviewed journals including the Journal of Animal Science, Toxins, and Animals. AOSCA provides a wide range of programs to help its clients meet the demands of today’s agricultural marketplace. These include the National Variety Review Board, Certified Seed, Quality Assurance, and Identity Preserved programs. AOSCA is consists of 45 U.S. member agencies and seven participating member countries.
This panel will be second in Seed World Group’s three-part Seed World Innovate Series, all of which will be hosted live on the Seed Expo stage at the Field Crop Seed Convention. The three panels take place as follows:
Panel #1: Changing the Game with Capital ‘I’ Innovation – Thursday: 12:00-12:45 pm
Panel #2: Influencing for Action – Thursday: 2:00-2:45 pm
Panel #3: Next Gen Insights – Friday: 10:00-10:45 am
