b'Jack Bobo worked at the U.S. Department of State for 13 years. Andrew Busch is a futurist and economist based in the United States.As an influential expert and director of global foodbiodiesel] might want to think about this.and water policy at The Nature Conservancy (Global) andFoundational AI, blockchain and co-bots are just a few Nature United (Canada), Jack Bobo highlighted examplesof the extraordinary tools being leveraged right now to of policies and programs that are making positive sustain- help businesses overcome, adapt and thrive, he said.ability impacts.With the advent of CRISPR, with the advent of cloud Still, innovation must be allowed to progress unim- computing, with the advent of data and AI, things are peded, but doing so is challenge the world over due tohappening so fast, its unbelievable. We have moved from restrictive regulation, he said. thinking about living organisms as a discovery project For me, the greatest tragedy is not that we get to 2050into looking at living organisms as an engineering project. and weve ruined everything. The biggest tragedy is thatThats a big shift.we get there and we had the tools to solve these prob- He gave the example of research conducted by the lems, but we didnt use them. I tell people Im a scienceUnited States Department of Agriculture, reported in optimist; Im convinced that science and technology andNovember, where researchers were able to use a virus to innovation can get us there. But Im a regulatory pes- battle wheat scab. They discovered a strain of a fungal simist; Im not convinced that well be allowed to usevirus, or mycovirus, that disables the scab funguss [those tools], Bobo said.vomitoxin-making machinery.Having worked at a regulator, their default position Changing Business Landscape is to do nothing. I dont want to insult anybody from the As our industry attempts to break down regulatory barri- Canadian government if youre hearing this, but the safest ers, it also needs to plan for the future and recognize thatposition for regulators to do nothing, he said.opportunities that seem good now, may not be so downThis kills innovation. Progress is going to occur, and the road. its going to happen way faster than regulators can catch As electric vehicles slowly take over, there will beup, so we have to strike a balance. Companies that are reduced demand for fossil fuels and even biodiesel. selling you these technologies will be working hard to Youre going to see a move away from biodiesel, evenmake sure that theyre [safe]. though there are subsidies for that. [Those involved in 12GERMINATION.CAJANUARY 2023'