Make Your American Seed Trade Association Annual Report 2014/15 Make Your Voice Heard Message to ASTA Membership ............................. 1 Strategic Goals ......................................... 2 Leadership ............................................. 3 State and Local Issues .................................... 4 Federal and Regulatory Affairs ............................. 5 Innovation in Plant Breeding ............................... 6 Contents International Agriculture Policy ............................. 7 Global Seed Movement .................................. 8 Communications ........................................ 9 Intellectual Property ..................................... 9 Industry Building and Recognition ......................... 10 Conventions and Meetings ............................... 13 Membership .......................................... 15 Financial Health ........................................ 16 ASTA Staff and Organizational Chart ....................... 17 Annual Report2014/15 amseed.org Message to ASTA Membership Over the past year, the American Seed Trade Association focused many of its efforts on one word: advocate. When you look up the word in the dictionary you will find it can be used as either a noun or a verb. As a noun, an advocate is a person who publically supports or recommends a particular cause or policy; as a verb, to advocate is the actual action of publically recommending or supporting. As ASTA members, you have truly embraced this concept by becoming seed advocates and making your voices heard more loudly than ever before. As we all know, the seed industry has a great story to tell. You are on the cutting edge of research and development that is making a real impact on people’s lives, both here and abroad. As lawmakers make decisions that impact your ability to innovate and grow your businesses, they need to hear from you directly about what you do and how it impacts all of our lives. From the clothes we wear, to the food we eat, to the fuel that powers our cars, it all starts with a seed. John Schoenecker HM.CLAUSE ASTA members have truly risen to the challenge, with record numbers attending our Storm the Hill events in the nation’s capital. Participants discussed ASTA’s ASTA Chair 2014/15 positions on some of the most pressing issues facing the industry, while building invaluable relationships with key elected officials, staff and government representatives. Other highlights of the year include: • Continuing to drive ASTA activities guided by the five-year Strategic Plan • Making significant strides in protecting intellectual property rights • Developing strong plant-breeding messages for domestic and international audiences • Seeing a seed communications and advocacy initiative come to life • Building on international relationships While the year at ASTA has come to an end, it is just the beginning; we are excited about what lies ahead as our coordinated advocacy efforts continue to strengthen and expand. I challenge you to make a renewed commitment this year to making your voices heard. Keep building those relationships with your local, state and federal lawmakers. Get your colleagues involved. Get the young people in your company involved. It is all of us – regional and international, Andrew W. LaVigne flowers, vegetables, grasses, forages and row crops – that provide the link to the President and CEO past and the drive to the future. We are all stronger when we work together – That is the value of ASTA! We thank you for your continued engagement and support of the association. It is an honor to represent you. Our best to you for a productive year ahead! Annual Report2014/15 1 amseed.org Make your Strategic Goals ASTA Vision ASTA Mission ASTA Core Values Contribute to global agriculture Be an effective voice of action Members drive the ASTA agenda and food security by creating in all matters concerning the and identify the issues relevant an environment where each development, marketing and to the seed industry. ASTA’s ASTA member company has movement of seed, associated commitment to one company, the opportunity to create an products and services throughout one vote ensures that issues innovative, sustainable and the world. ASTA promotes the affecting the many are identified successful business. development of better seed to and result in effective and produce better crops for a better proactive advocacy and support. quality of life. Key Strategic Focus Areas Intellectual Property Rights International Programs Advance the use and respect of intellectual Improve opportunities for ASTA member property rights protection for the global seed companies to do business in international markets. industry. ASTA Communications State and Local Issues Establish ASTA as a key advocate for the U.S. seed Be recognized as an effective national resource to industry and a high value resource for its members. assist in resolving state and local seed trade issues. ASTA Membership and Internal Matters Domestic Policy Constantly improve the internal operations of Be a respected, leading voice on domestic policy ASTA to more efficiently serve membership with issues impacting the seed industry. continued emphasis on the importance of effective human and financial management systems. 2 Annual Report2014/15 Voice Heard amseed.org Leadership Chair John Schoenecker HM.CLAUSE First Vice Chair Risa DeMasi Grassland Oregon Second Vice Chair Mark Herrmann Monsanto Vegetable From left to right: Risa DeMasi, First Vice Chair; John Schoenecker, Chair; Mark Herrmann, Second Vice Chair Regional Vice Presidents Division Chairs Perry Bohn, Southeastern Region Vice President, Charles Miller, Corn & Sorghum Division, Chromatin, Inc. BASF Stacy Woodruff, Vegetable and Flower Seed Division, Andy Ernst, Northeastern Region Vice President, Bayer CropScience Vegetable Seeds Ernst Conservation Seeds Jeff Koscelny, Farm Seed Division, Monsanto Wayne Gale, Vice President from CSTA, Paul Kjolhaug, Brokers-Agents Division, MayerSeedLine, LLC Stokes Seeds Mark Massoudi, Associate Member Division, Ag-Biotech, Inc. David Pearl, Central Region Vice President, Bill Merrigan, Lawn Seed Division, Blue Mountain Seeds, Inc. The CISCO Companies Jim Shearl, Soybean Division, AgReliant Genetics John Latham, North Central Region Vice President, Latham Hi-Tech Seeds Rob Mitchell, Northwestern Region Vice President, Directors at Large Simplot Brad May, Bayer CropScience Jerry Monk, Interim Vice President to Mexico, David Morgan, Syngenta Warner Seeds Tom Wiltrout, Dow AgroSciences Alan Ostercamp, Southern Region Vice President, RiceTec, Inc. Jim Schweigert, Vice President to Canada, Immediate Past Chairs Gro Alliance, LLC Craig Newman, AgReliant Genetics Mervyn Selvidge, Western Region Vice President, Blake Curtis, Curtis & Curtis, Inc. Z&S Seed Services, Inc. Mike Gumina, RiceTec, Inc. Jose Luis Gastelum, Vice President from AMSAC, Syngenta Annual Report2014/15 3 amseed.org Make your State and Local Issues In 2014/15, ASTA continued aggressive grassroots efforts and monitored several strategic priorities within state governments. The ASTA state affairs team tracked and monitored 127 bills, 24 of which passed with none having a negative impact on the seed industry. ASTA member-representatives and staff also attended 25 state and regional meetings. ASTA is monitoring and taking action on a number of issues facing the seed industry at the state level, including: Assurance of an Adequately Funded State GMO Labeling Regulatory System The use of seeds enhanced through modern ASTA supports a viable and efficient regulatory biotechnology continues to grow around the system for the seed industry. ASTA works to ensure world as a result of their economic, environmental adequate funding to enable a sustainable state and human health benefits. State-specific infrastructure to support these regulatory systems. GMO labeling regulations have the potential to reduce accessibility to all technologies, and limit Consistency of State Laws and Regulations opportunities for innovation. Due to the challenge A patchwork of varying laws between states would of potentially having a patchwork of 50 different add unnecessarily to the cost of doing business labeling laws, ASTA continues to work with grower in each state and, therefore, penalize farmers and organizations and other interested parties to find a consumers. ASTA promotes states’ utilization solution at the federal level. of the Recommended Uniform State Seed Law, authored by the Association of American Seed Pollinator Protection Control Officials. State regulations to provide practical solutions for increased pollinator forage are an important Seed Lab Uniformity factor for the seed industry. ASTA is involved with Consistency across state regulatory and entities establishing these programs to assure commercial seed labs is a critical component for appropriate recommendations of regionally effective enforcement of state seed laws. ASTA adapted seed mixes take seed availability into continues to encourage the seed lab community account, and are coordinated with the seed to continue to improve testing methods, provide a industry and the federal government. strong analyst certification program, and promote lab participation in lab accreditation programs. Noxious Weed and Invasive Species State systems are in place to limit the potential Seed Libraries for transmission of noxious weeds and invasive Federal, state and most international seed laws do species. Left unchecked, many invasive species