ASTA working to ensure barriers to selling seeds are addressed
For more information, see the Third Quarter issue of Seed Today.
By Dan Foor
One of our family’s favorite things to do together in our “downtime” is to watch reality shows – especially those related to cooking or adventures.
Well, my girls also like to watch reality shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, but I don’t really consider those reality shows.
Food Stars is one of our current go-to’s, featuring the iconic chef Gordon Ramsay pitted against Lisa Vanderpump with their hand-chosen teams of start-up food businesspeople vying for the big prize – $250,000 for their respective business in the food and beverage space.
In a recent episode called “Show and Sell” the teams were to “pitch” kitchen products at a food trade show with the winner saving their teammates from elimination.
As the teams were preparing for their pitches, Gordon said something that struck a chord. He said, “Remember that word ‘trade’ – that means the people you will be trying to convince are experts in their field” … <sic> and you won’t be able to b.s. them, basically.
Defining Trade
“Trade” defined as meaning “experts”? An interesting angle to the word (and it has to be true if Gordon Ramsay said it).
Before having “expertise” associated with trade, I tended to think about the word more in the terms of “exchange.”
Trade implying that the parties involved value whatever is the subject of the trade. I trade you this for that and we’re both happy.
And we know that mankind has been using trade as a means of social and professional currency for centuries.
When you think about it, however, the expertise aspect makes sense. In order to be a successful trader, you need to know your stuff, and as importantly – how those you are seeking to trade with value your stuff.
I recall early days in my career going to the Western Seed Association in Kansas City, MO where the infamous “trading pit” resided, and the glorious stories in which the same lot of seed had changed hands multiple times over the course of the event.
Trade in that era sometimes meant a high stakes game of hot potato.
You can also think about the trading floor of the stock and commodity exchanges, where trades are made. Here again, trade is more closely tied to exchange, but the implicit or explicit value is always the basis for the trade.
Facilitating Trade
A key aspect of our American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is just that – facilitating trade of our seed products within the United States and around the world.
Our ASTA staff works hard every day to ensure that barriers to trade are addressed and that rules and regulations around our seed products protect innovation and are conducive to efficient movement of seed.
As Chair of our association this year, I would invite you to consider a couple of things.
First, how we can think about the “Trade” that is in our association’s name a bit more along the lines of the expertise we bring to the world about our seed industry.
Secondly, how we can collectively take the theme of “activation” of our membership and leverage our expertise to ensure a bright future for the issues important to our members and their customers.
Perhaps we could consider re-naming ourselves to the “American Seed Trade Expertise Association.”
Dan Foor is 2024-2025 chair of ASTA, the American Seed Trade Association, Alexandria, VA (703-837-8140/betterseed.org). Foor is senior vice president of DLF North America based in La Crosse, WI (dlf.com).