b'Promoting Better Seed for Better LifeSuccessfully delivering innovation to farmers fields is goal #1 for Fan-Li Chou,ASTAs Senior Vice President of Scientific Affairs and Policy. SW: Do you feel like the seedplant breeding and seed variety develop-industry is making steps forwardsment. or backwards in moving seed efficiently and effectively aroundSW: What were some of ASTAs the world? biggest wins in 2023? Fan-Li Chou (FC): Seed is one agricul- FC: ASTAs biggest assets are our staff tural input for which there is no substi- and the trusted relationships we have tute. The farmer may be tied to a specificand continue to build around the world.tract of land and unable to control theThese relationships allow us to react and weather, but she will choose the seed thatrespond nimbly to solve emerging issues works best for her production system.for the seed industry and to effectively Therefore, the global seed industry istackle long term policy goals, such as always moving forward to make sure thatthe regulatory approach to plant breed-the farmer is starting out with the besting innovation. In the last few years, we seed possible. are seeing more and more countries, ASTAs motto is Better Seed for Betterincluding India, Japan and the Philippines, Life. I think governments are recognizingformalizing and implementing policies to the truth in that, and for sure the farmersdifferentiate plant breeding innovation are.Its important that governments andproducts from GMOs. This positive trend the global seed industry work togetheris hugely encouraging and can be critical to move forward to provide access andfor PBI to be deployed in breeding pro-choice of better seed to farmers.grams across the sector. We are a small and mighty staff at SW: If you could wish away one keyASTA.Between the four staffers working regulatory/trade blockage, whichsense of urgency for countries to adopt aon international programs, we hosted or would you choose? transparent, predictable, risk proportionalmet with government and private sector FC: As a scientist, I am so excited by theregulatory approach and to reduce unjus- representatives from over 50 countries!current speed of discovery and accu- tified, burdensome and costly regulatorySam Crowell, ASTAs Senior Director for mulation of scientific knowledge.Thebarriers to entry for small- and medium- International Programs and Policy, and genome of over 900 plant species hassized entities. I are racking up the frequent flyer miles, been sequenced, and we have the toolsThere is no fairy godmother in thetraveling to six continents this year to such as genome editing to better under- seed industry, so a wish stays a wishwork with sister associations and meet stand the genome-to-phenome connec- unless we put in some work.Firstly, wewith government officials.I certainly have tion and to more efficiently and preciselyhave to get our own house in order. Impacking everything into a carry-on down develop new, improved varieties. working closely with U.S. regulators toto a science.As a seed industry professional, whatminimize regulatory uncertainty and inef-worries me is that we will be unable toficiency in the U.S. system to ensure thatSW: How do you hope to spend your progress from scientific discovery to inno- the U.S. seed industry remains a globalnon-work time in 2024?vation in the farmland because of uncer- leader. Secondly, ASTA is a USDA coop- FC: Not traveling? Just kidding. Im part of tain and inefficient regulatory regimes.erator, we are using our grant to advocatea three-generation household, my mom, Because of the pressing issues offor pro-innovation markets globally. my spouse and my two daughters, who global food security and climate change,From my perspective, the long-termlike to travel. We are planning on knock-the seed industry needs all the toolseconomic, social, and environmentaling off a few places on my moms bucket available to respond more quickly withsustainability of global agriculture cannotlist and taking the girls snowboarding on improved varieties. There must be aafford to put on the shelf innovation inreal snow (Ill be in the chalet).SW72/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2023'