b'From the Dust Bowl to Carbon Sequestration: How Ducks Unlimited Transformed its OrganizationAMERICANS EXPERIENCED ONEFor 75 years after its founding, theListening to the courage and vision that of the worlds harshest droughts duringnumber one goal for Ducks Unlimited wasit took to strike out in a new direction for the Dust Bowl in the 1930s. Farmlandpreservation of duck habitats. The groupsuch a historic organization was inspiring!was stripped clean, and livestock weremeasured its success by the numberIn some ways, seed companies are like choked by the dust. Tens of thousandsof nesting ducks protected for everyDucks Unlimited was 10 years ago. Theyre fell into poverty. From those dark days$1 raised. The formula worked and thebuilt on a legacy of success with trusted (literally, due to dust clouds blocking outorganization grew. relationships and a strong connection the sun), emerged better soil conserva- But about 10 years ago, a new busi- to improving lives and the land. But that tion practices and increased protection ofness model emerged. The public interestmodel is under pressure. Seed companies wetlands and other sensitive areas. Onein the protection of ducks was greatlyare caught in the middle between their organization formed as a result was Ducksoutmatched by the interest in protectingsuppliers and customers with little room to Unlimited. the land the ducks nested on. Here, Ducksrealize margin, all while taking an immense Ducks Unlimited was founded in 1937Unlimited found an opportunity to growamount of risk.by sportsmen who saw the devastatingthe organization in a whole new way. The question then is, how can your impact the Dust Bowls weather and farm- Ducks Unlimited responded by repo- business pivot like Ducks Unlimited did? ing practices had on ducks. They camesitioning its messaging and recalibratingWhat hidden value can your company together to protect waterfowl habitats toits measures of success. They focusedunlock? How can your core competencies ensure the birds would survive. on preventing soil erosion, protectingbe leveraged in a new way? coastal waters, mitigating storm damageOur world and the seed industry are and sequestering carbon. This changeboth at a moment of transformational allowed it to establish partnerships withchange. It was incredible to learn how global companies, such as Coca-Cola. AtDucks Unlimited was able to make such the American Seed Trade Associationsa bold reinvention.Who knows, in a few Leadership Summit in Indianapolis in June,years maybe the next generation will be Ducks Unlimited CEO Adam Putmaninspired by a transformational change talked about this change during the ses- your business achieved!sion Leading Through Sustainability. JIM SCHWEIGERT PRESIDENT, GRO ALLIANCE @jim_schweigert jim.schweigert@groalliance.comGroAlliance.com24/ SEEDWORLD.COMOCTOBER 2022'