Ray Starling says seed leaders must reclaim the conversation before food, trade and trust are beyond repair.
Ray Starling has stood behind the Resolute Desk, briefed the president and helped stop the U.S. from pulling out of NAFTA. But when he recently spoke to seed leaders in Washington, D.C., he didn’t open with policy. He opened with a cartoon dog in a flaming room saying, “This is fine.”
And that, he argued, is exactly where we are right now.
“We are not controlling it,” Starling said. “It does not feel like our own destiny. We’re having to ride along while other people … call the shots.”
Starling, North Carolina Chamber general counsel and former White House agriculture advisor, used the meme to paint a clear picture: society is politically fractured, trust is at an all-time low and agriculture and the seed industry are caught in the middle of it all.
“(It’s a) fractured landscape,” he said. “Geopolitical tensions, environmental tension, societal tension. Technological changes. This is a dynamic and bizarre and odd time to try to find our way through.”
Nobody Trusts Anything Anymore
According to Pew Research, fewer than one in five Americans trust the federal government to do the right thing. That crisis of trust isn’t isolated to D.C.; it’s hitting food, science and industry, too.
“Expect your authority to be questioned,” Starling told seed leaders at the American Seed Trade Association Leadership Summit. “We don’t trust those institutions that gave you that credential. We don’t necessarily trust big business. We’re not even sure about these associations in D.C.”
Even sustainability claims are being dismissed.
“They asked Gen Z if they’d base a meat purchase on sustainability claims,” he said, referring to a Meat Institute study. “The number actually fell. They don’t care what you put on a bag. They don’t believe it.”
Populism is Real, and it’s Changing Everything
Starling didn’t sugarcoat the challenge. Populist frustration, he said, is rooted in truth, but it’s leading to distorted policy.
“Populism literally exists because there probably really is a problem,” he said. “But the solution often misses the mark. I’m really worried about this era we’re in — where we seem to be channeling the needs of folks that feel like they’re falling behind, but we may be giving them answers that actually don’t lift them up and move them forward.”
Trade is one of the biggest victims. Starling described the shift from “just-in-time” to “just-in-case,” the move to shorten supply chains, and the growing belief that the United States can operate without global trade.
“The intellectual basis for trade is under assault,” he said. “People now think we can be autonomously industrious enough that we don’t need our friends to the north and south.”
A Seat at the Table and a Moment in History
Starling shared a story about a time In 2017 when he helped organize a farmer roundtable with President Trump, where trade was identified as one of four ag priorities. Two days later, he learned the president was preparing to withdraw from NAFTA.
“The executive order had been drafted,” he said. “And I said, ‘Sir, that’s not going to be good for agriculture.’ And he looked at me and said, ‘No kidding, Ray. If you think you can do something about it, knock yourself out.’”
With Secretary Sonny Perdue, Starling devised a plan to intercept the president. They walked into the Oval Office with maps showing the counties that voted for Trump and how many relied on trade.
“We told him, if you unilaterally withdraw without something else in place, these are the people you’re going to be hurting,” Starling said.
The pitch worked.
Talk is Still Powerful
Despite the social media era, Starling said the seed industry’s best tool remains old-fashioned, face-to-face conversations.
“You know what still works? Going to see people and talking with them,” he said. “The beauty of ASTA is that you can speak everybody’s language. You’ve got credibility — use it.”
He warned that younger congressional staffers have grown up in a world filled with misinformation and distrust. That means every message has to work harder to connect.
“You’re going to encounter lots of 23- and 24-year-olds tomorrow on the Hill,” he said referring to ASTA members taking the seed industry message to the Hill on June 10. “They’re not getting paid much. They’re idealistic. So give them time. Invest in them. Listen to figure out what’s important to them, and then explain what you need.”
It’s Not Just About Profit; it’s About Feeding People
Starling closed with a reminder that the reason agriculture matters isn’t just economics or regulations; it’s about people.
“It’s not because regulations are aggravating. It’s not because they’re cutting into your profitability,” he said. “It’s because your job as a member of the agricultural family is to help feed everybody else.”
He pointed to persistent food insecurity and poverty across the United States, and questioned the logic of proposals that would increase food costs without increasing food access.
“There are people who want to make food more expensive, and really get no gain,” he said. “I don’t understand what they’re trying to do.”
Starling didn’t pretend the process in Washington was easy, or that it’s going to get better anytime soon. But his message was clear: show up, speak up and don’t let frustration silence you.
“We cannot afford to let this unravel,” he said. “This is the story of American agricultural innovation.”
