b"GIANT26%The percentage of people who worked in1883 The year ASTA was founded. As agriculture in 2020, compared to 44% inone of the oldest trade organiza-1991. The percentage of the North Americantions in the U.S., ASTA continues workforce in agriculture has dropped drastically over the years,their core mission to promote from 70% in the year 1840 to around 3% by 2000 in the U.S.research, development and move-alone, according to USDA statistics. Thats why meetingssuchment of seed to feed the growing world. Passionate leaders as NAPBs 2022 Annual Meeting this past August in Ames, Iowalike LaVigne represent the drive for change of the organizationare so essential to promote growth and collaboration as theywith members who are willing to go the extra mile to make the encourage more people who are going through their educationworld a better place through seed and plant breeding. When I to think about plant breeding as a career path and understandtalk about plant breeding, my passion is deeper than just seeds. what that might look like and get involved, according to Senior. That's who pays the bills and who employs me, but it's plant breeding. It's the trees, vines, bushes and trees. It's plant breed-The amount in U.S. dollars thating, and how to get that discovery out there, says LaVigne.$10,000 IPSAs education committee offers 10 students in scholarship moneyThe number of households each year. They are young, and hopefully this conference, their13.5 million in the U.S. that faced food mentors and getting introduced to the IPSA membership opensinsecurity at some point a lot of doors for them, says Skemp. I would encourage themduring 2021, according to the to use this experience and the networking that they're doingUSDAs Economic Research Service (ERS). The thing that we here to keep pushing those doors open for several yearsandreally need to focus on is putting plant breeding in the broader for the rest of their careerto see what opportunities lie behindcontext. That's the global context. It's also the context of all the the door and use that networking to the best of their abilities tochallenges that agriculture faces, and all the problems that the further themselves in their careers. food system faces. Plant breeding really does have something to contribute to all of those areas. It's about us combining to make 400 The number of people whothat contribution clear and help other people to recognize the attended NAPBs 2022 Annualrole that plant breeding has to make, says Senior.Meeting. This years meeting was the first in person confer-ence since the COVID-19 pan-demic. It's just so nice having had two years of NAPB being a Zoom run organization, to actually be able to meet people in person who I've spoken to and emailed for such a long time, shares Senior. All of the serendipitous conversations in the line for lunch, or sitting next to somebody on a bus, those kinds of conversations which you don't plan, but they end up being really enriching. You learn all sorts of new things.38/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2022"