Stan Abramson of Arent Fox LLP, Law Firm spoke with members of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) about promoting agriculture innovations in Washington D.C.
We can learn a lot about innovation from the seeds themselves. “Plants and seeds are natural innovators. They constantly reinvent themselves,” he told the audience. “A lot of innovation is just figuring out how nature operates and try to use those same techniques to improve agriculture, to put more food on the table for folks here and all around the world.”
The current administration offers different possibilities than in the past for promoting innovation. Trump appears to be friendly to the industry, and while he is constrained by the usual laws, rules, and procedures of any President, Abramson believes agriculture has a real opportunity. The key is to be strategic in what is asked for, he advised. Think of the long- and short-term implications of your asks and consider all the stakeholders who stand to benefit.
We are also at a point in history where people are beginning to see the advantages of technology like gene editing. There isn’t a single documented incident of harm from science-based farming and other countries are taking notice. They don’t want to lose out, but the U.S. needs to take a leading role, he asserts.
Listen to Cindy’s full interview with Abramson here:Interview with Stan Abramson, Arent Fox