Washington, DC
July 09,  2001

Nearly 600 seed industry professionals gathered in San Antonio, Texas, June 17-20 for the joint annual conventions of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) and Mexican Seed Trade Association (AMSAC). Held for the first time together, the joint meetings covered issues of mutual interest to the Mexican and U.S. seed sectors, including agricultural biotechnology, intellectual property rights, phytosanitary regulations, e-commerce, and brand marketing. The meeting theme, "The Winds of Change," represented these emerging areas of interest along with the globalization of the seed industry at large.

"The purpose of the joint meeting was to allow our members to learn from each other and establish a more united industry with common goals," said Roberto Berentsen, AMSAC program chair and Mexican liaison to ASTA’s Board of Directors. "I think we achieved this."

ASTA President Nathan Boardman (now past-president) outlined the recent past and future of the U.S. seed sector. He began with a comparison of the association to the windmill, a symbol of continuity and efficiency.

"Like the windmill," he said, "each ASTA member is part of a machine that pumps water and goes round and round with purpose and plan. Value is, after all, why we are all in business."

Boardman noted that during the past year, ASTA plowed a field of success by expanding communication with outside stakeholders on seed issues, fostering alliances within the food chain,
and gaining support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and international groups to advance
the International Seed Network Initiative* among other accomplishments. Looking ahead, he emphasized the importance of global acceptance of this initiative and being proactive in advocating new technologies in the public and private sectors.

Speaking on behalf of Mexican Secretary of Agriculture Javier Usabiaga Arroyo, Undersecretary Victor Villaloros Arambula echoed the desire to embrace new technologies in his country’s agricultural sector to foster its growth. He emphasized the need for private sector growth in Mexico and equitable access to seed technologies and genetic resources.

Moreover, Arambula discussed the "winds of change" within Mexican agriculture. He said the government plans to increase the country’s agricultural competitiveness by strengthening its capacity for seed research, production, certification, and trade. One way of doing so is to augment the development and marketing of regional agricultural products, while preserving biodiversity and providing intellectual property protection for new plant varieties.

"This openness is unique and we should take advantage of it in the next six years with the current administration," noted Berentsen.

Arcadio Lozano Martinez, AMSAC board member and general director of Sakata Seeds of Mexico, added that the joint meeting was appropriate given that the United States and Mexico are trading partners and share similar views on seed issues.

On the domestic front, ASTA division meetings in San Antonio brought about six new resolutions, which were passed by ASTA’s Board of Directors on June 21. These resolutions were brought forward by the Lawn Seed, Farm Seed, Corn & Sorghum and Soybean Divisions. Respectively, they pertained to ryegrass testing for annuality, sell-by dates for cool season grass seed, parallel cropping strips of farmland, and liability related to pollen flow and seed labeling for potential adventitious biotech material.

Founded in 1883, the American Seed Trade Association is one of the oldest trade organizations in the United States. Its membership consists of about 850 companies involved in seed production and distribution, plant breeding, and related industries in North America. As an authority on plant germplasm, ASTA advocates science and policy issues of industry importance. Its mission is to enhance the development and free movement of quality seed worldwide.

* The International Seed Network Initiative, designed by the International Seed Trade Federation (FIS) in June 1999, seeks to establish a globally accepted tolerance level for adventitious biotech presence, standardized biotech testing protocols, and an enhanced quality assurance system in seed production to minimize adventitious presence. Proposed quality assurance procedures provide for positive identification, traceability, and control of seed through each step of the production process. The purpose of the initiative is to prevent disruptions in international seed trade.

ASTA news release
N3641