At a time when political storms are raging both in the U.S. and here in Canada, the seed industry faces a daunting challenge: focusing on innovation and progress while navigating the unpredictability of policy change. Andy LaVigne, President and CEO of the American Seed Trade Association, shares his perspective on how to keep moving forward despite the noise.
“I called it political chaos this morning, and that’s what it really is,” LaVigne told Seed World after his keynote speech at Seeds Canada’s annual conference in Edmonton, Alabama, last month. The current political climate, both in the United States and Canada, can seem overwhelming, but LaVigne stresses the importance of focusing on what the industry can control. “You have to understand it, but you also have to put it aside. It can’t be what you’re looking at all the time.”
Instead, LaVigne urges industry leaders to focus on their core mission: serving their companies, members and customers. “How do we ensure that this policy doesn’t negatively impact their ability to get the products they need?” he asks.
The key is to balance engagement on policy issues with the practical needs of the industry and ensure that innovation is not stifled by the noise around it. “Put that aside and ask yourself, ‘What can we change? How do we work with the government officials who are there to make adjustments and make incremental changes as we move forward?'”
With the upcoming re-passage of the US farm bill, LaVigne stresses the need for stability in agriculture. “We need to set something in motion to give agriculture certainty. We need to help it put some of the chaos aside and focus on what is most important for rural America and American farmers,” he advises.
When it comes to the Canadian seed industry’s pursuit of innovation, LaVigne offers valuable insight. He praises Canada’s focus on becoming more flexible and agile and ridding itself of unnecessary government bureaucracy. “The more flexible we can be as an industry, the better,” says LaVigne. He encourages the industry to consider whether the current regulatory structure is still relevant. “Does it still fit the market and the seed companies?”
LaVigne also stresses the importance of maintaining good relationships with Canadian seed producers. “They have to produce the product that we package and sell to farmers. And what does that relationship need to look like in the future?”
Another area where Canada shines, says LaVigne, is gene editing. He praises Canada’s approach, which focuses on the end product rather than the process. “It’s a model that the rest of the world can emulate,” he says. The transparency and efficiency of Canada’s regulatory process contrast with the more cautious approach of U.S. regulators. “Canada has been much more transparent, much more open,” notes LaVigne.
