Alexandria, VA—December 20, 2024— The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) is pleased to be the recipient of a $1,000,000 award from USDA’s new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) grants. These programs are intended to help the U.S. agricultural sector diversify sales into export markets in regions with rising purchasing power, including Africa, Latin America/the Caribbean, and South/Southeast Asia.
“Through international engagement and partnerships, ASTA will continue to advocate across the globe on policy issues that impact the seed sector’s ability to operate and deliver improved seeds to farmers,” said Andy LaVigne, President and CEO of ASTA.“By advocating for aligned phytosanitary regulations, intellectual property approaches that spur innovation, and streamlined policies for plant breeding innovations (PBI) like genome editing, ASTA will continue to build new market opportunities for the seed sector.”
Please email Sam Crowell, ASTA’s Senior Director, International Programs and Policy, if you’re interested in learning more about ASTA’s overseas engagement.
Click here to read the funding announcement from USDA.