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Alexandria, Virginia
December 18, 2001
About 2,500 seed professional
gathered in the Windy City for the
American Seed Trade Association’s
(ASTA’s) annual Corn & Sorghum and Soybean Seed Research
Conferences December 5-7. New topics were unearthed and older
issues cultivated at the meeting, held in conjunction with the
Seed Expo, the largest industry trade show in North America.
ASTA President Drew Kinder kicked off the meeting with an
extensive list of issues facing the U.S. seed industry today.
These issues include the adventitious (unintentional) presence
of biotech material in traditional seed, producer protection
legislation in specific states and at the federal level,
mislabeled invasive plant species in certain states, the impact
on seed if U.S. mail is irradiated, and seed being part of the
solution to increasing the global food supply through better
pest management, new technologies, and enhanced seed trade. All
of these issues were discussed at the Chicago meeting.
Highlights included sessions on regulatory and consumer issues
related to plant biotechnology in the United States and European
Union, seed purity control and harmonizing international purity
standards, ways to improve seed production, pest control
strategies, new research on plant breeding and genetics, and
human resource and business management.
Bill Hawks, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) undersecretary
for regulatory and marketing programs, addressed agricultural
biosecurity, status of the Farm Bill, impact of irradiation on
seed, and a brewing domestic policy on adventitious presence.
“Zero tolerance is unworkable on anything,” he noted while
discussing the adventitious presence of biotech material in
traditional seed. “But working together works, and I will
personally work with you to try to address this issue.”
Regarding the Farm Bill, Hawks noted it was unlikely that it
would be resolved this year, but that the end result should be a
farmer-friendly bill. The USDA supports the amendment proposed
by Senators Cochran and Roberts as a compromise between the
Senate Agriculture Committee and House Democrats.
Hawks also noted the cooperation between the USDA and Office of
Homeland Security. While hoof-and-mouth terrorism risk is
minimal, he said, the government is watching out for the disease
like a hawk and has an emergency outbreak plan in place. It is
also beefing up security at borders and relationships with other
federal agencies.
“Biosecurity is a high priority for the USDA,” he said. “We plan
to increase inspectors at our borders by 40 percent by the end
of 2002. We will also increase our legislative teams by 50
percent, working more closely with the Agricultural Marketing
Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and customs
officials. We are also working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard
for boats entering ports. Moreover, President Bush has proposed
a $45 million increase for a new USDA laboratory in Ames, Iowa,
and $158 million for states to prepare for agricultural
emergencies.”
Kinder gave a “Special Service
Award” to Hawks for his work on seed-related issues.
Following Hawks, Michael Abrashoff, retired Navy Commander of
the U.S.S. Benfold, delivered a keynote address on retaining and
motivating employees. He emphasized the importance of respecting
and getting input from employees, providing them with ways to
better themselves professionally and personally, and adding fun
to the workplace.
“By helping my crew grow, the Benfold grew to become the leader
of the Pacific Fleet,” he said. “Training is the oxygen of any
organization and industry.”
Abrashoff founded a learning center on the ship, putting 110
sailors through college courses; initiated port visits; and
implemented ideas of his crew for making the ship a better place
to be, such as installing a humidor and buying a karaoke
machine. The retention rate on the ship increased from 28 to 100
percent as a result of such activities. The Benfold also saved
money on its budget and safety-related incidents and led the
Pacific Fleet in all competitive categories.
“How do you attract, retain and motivate employees?,” Abrashoff
asked. “By getting rid of ineffective programs, tearing down
silos among departments and ranks, and treating each other with
respect and dignity,” he noted. “A command and control
leadership style does not induce trust in the
workplace.”Moreover, “you need to focus on the people below you
to better an organization,” he added. “It’s like looking at
monkeys in a tree. From the top, they have smiling faces, but
from the bottom, it’s a different view.”
The meeting also included award presentations. Arnel Hallauer,
Ph.D., professor of agronomy at Iowa State University, received
the “Crop Genetics Award of the Year” from Verdant Partners for
his accomplishments in corn breeding. Richard McConnell, Ph.D.,
received the Genetics and Plant
Breeding Award for Industry from the National Council of
Commercial Plant Breeders.
Founded in 1883, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA),
located in Alexandria, Va., 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.
ASTA news release
N4057
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