b'How to EffectivelyAdvocate for ActionTelling the seed industrys incredible story so others will listen.Madeleine BaergIN WAYS BOTHsmall and giant, the seed industry is front and center on solving many of the worlds biggest challenges. Yet, the seed industry doesnt always do an excellent job of connecting our story to the needs of society. In fact, the seed industry story that consumers, policymakers, job seekers, and the gen-eral public hear is often heavily shaped by outside voices.If the seed industry wants the license to operatethe ability to use the kinds of innovations and draw the kind of people it needs to be effectiveit needs to better showcase the public good, from local to global, that it does every day. At the American Seed Trade Associations Field Crop Seed Convention held in December 2023 in Orlando, Florida, Seed World hosted a live panel discussion about how we as individuals, companies, associations, and the collec-tive seed industry can build more influ-ence, meaningfully leverage advocacy, and more effectively share the seed industry story.Left to right: Seed Worlds Madeleine Baerg, Cortevas Marc Cool, AOSCAs Sarah Joining moderator and Seed WorldWilbanks, Pairwises Ian Miller. Group director of content Madeleine Baerg were Marc Cool, global seed policy lead at Corteva Agriscience; Ian Miller,As an industry, were very good attive direction in terms of telling its story, chief development officer of Pairwise anddoing what were doing, but weve notbecoming much more proactive and cohe-Sarah Wilbanks, CEO of the Associationdone a good job of telling people aboutsive in its messaging. That hasnt always of Official Seed Certifying Agenciesit, she said. We all have that samebeen the case, however, so the industry is (AOSCA). responsibility [of] trying to change thestill playing a game of catch-up. As the head of an industry association,narrative from something where peopleThe discussion around biotech is a Wilbanks role substantially differs fromare getting misinformation online or ingreat example of where the seed industry leadership positions in private or publiclyother avenuesshifting that to some- needs to make up for earlier messaging held companies. Yet, she says, her mes- thing thats a positive and true, accuratemissteps. saging prioritiesin fact, everyone in thestatement.One of our theories is that, unfortu-seed industrys messaging prioritiesareThe panelists agreed the good news isnately, biotech ended up with a little bit of the same.that the seed industry is moving in a posi- a bad name because we felt like it didnt 24/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2024'