b'a high-level visit, and suddenly, there would be a flurryIncentives and Cabinet Positionsof activity on the Chinese side, Klieger says. We wouldWhen it comes down to the idea of farmer incentives, see biotech approvals and wed see other things thatboth Klieger and Thatcher wonder if the potential for the U.S. had been pushing for. It was almost like, Werecover crop seed incentives will be available in a Biden going to do this big, showy thing, and China would giveadministration. Both say that one things for certain: cli-a few things we wanted. But it didnt structurally changemate change is high on Bidens priority list.the trade process. Biden has been really open about the fact that hed like However, Thatcher notes that wasnt quite Trumpsto spend $2 trillion on climate change incentives, Thatcher style when he came into office.says. However, it really depends if the democrats win both Trump felt strongly that we were the largest economyseats in Georgia, and therefore, control the Senate.in the world, so arguably, we should really be able to go into trade agreements on our own, she says. And then, we wouldnt have to negotiate with other groups first.Klieger agrees that Trump took the complete oppositeHES GOING TO WANT SOMETHING IN RETURN, AND stance after seeing that there wasnt any structural trade change after these meetings. I DONT THINK WE KNOW WHAT THAT IS YET.Instead, Trumps response was to use these tariffs, she says. And so, the question became over the last Mary Kay Thatcherfour yearswere these tariffs and trade deals more incremental or did it cause structural change? I think in phase one, there was still a lot of restoring the status quo before the tariffs. Phases two and three were supposedThatcher believes that even if Republicans have the to be those structural changes, but weve now run out ofSenate majority, climate change will still be on the table, time for them. but the incentive money would be nowhere near the $2 Klieger notes that its hard to see which method trillion Biden has suggested. bilateral talks or a direct-to-China discussionwasKlieger says a big factor is how a program like this more effective in the long run.would be introduced: would it be an incentive-based pro-When it comes to speculating on Bidens future withgram or a regulation?trade and China, Thatcher says she doesnt think BidenJust prior to press time, Biden announced that he has will simply do away with it.picked Tom Vilsack to be his agriculture secretary, replac-While Trump prides himself as being the Tariff Man,ing Sonny Perdue.I dont think thats Bidens M.O., she says. I anticipateVilsack served as agriculture secretary under the that he will attempt to reduce some of the $360 billion ofObama administration. tariffs that are in place, but hes not going to do it for theWe are very pleased to hear of President-elect Bidens heck of it. Hes going to want something in return, and Iintention to nominate Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve as dont think we know what that is yet. his Secretary of Agriculture. Under President Obama, Thatcher says Biden could want a few things thatSecretary Vilsack demonstrated a strong understanding havent been accomplished yet, ranging anywhere fromof the important issues impacting the American seed making the purchases theyve agreed to all the way toindustry and the broader agriculture community, says reducing the amount of time it takes for biotech to getAmerican Seed Trade Association President & CEO Andy approved in China.LaVigne in a statement.Klieger believes that while Democrats have histori- Agriculture, and specifically the seed industry, will cally been harsher on China than Republicans, we mightcontinue to play a key role in driving innovative solutions actually see some stability with the U.S.s relationshipto help meet pressing global challenges, from climate with China. change to food security. Success will require strong col-I dont expect it to get much better, but it is possiblelaboration throughout the agriculture and food value well expect it to get more stable, Klieger says. I dontchain, as well as robust private-public partnerships to think that the economies are going to become morefurther advance agriculture research and promote a con-intertwined. Id expect to see more cooperation betweentinued environment of innovation for the future. We look the United States and Europe, between the United Statesforward to working with Secretary Vilsack and the Biden and Japan, and just in general to more of our allies. administration moving forward. JANUARY 2021 GERMINATION.CA 17'