As part of the AMSAC 2025 Convention, industry leaders and public officials gathered for the panel discussion "The role of seeds in Mexico's food production." Representatives from four seed companies joined Dr. Miguel García Winder, Director General of Mexico's National Institute for Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIFAP), who attended on behalf of Agriculture Secretary Julio Berdegué Sacristán, to explore new opportunities for public-private partnerships.
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García Winder noted that collaboration between government and the private sector has long existed, "many seed companies have used technology developed by INIFAP," but stressed that the current moment is a turning point.
INIFAP is now aligning more closely with innovation, he said, while the private sector faces "a series of unexpected challenges, both nationally and internationally," making it essential to combine efforts and build on each other's strengths. "Our role at INIFAP is not to make money," García Winder said, "but to advance knowledge and generate technology. It's up to companies to make use of that technology."
He cited beans as an example: INIFAP has registered over 100 varieties in the national seed catalog, yet only four are in use. "Here's the challenge: private sector, help us test the other 96 and see if they have a market. Some are disease-resistant, others drought-tolerant, and they offer opportunities that should be developed."
On the industry side, participants included César Ramírez Marchand, President of Corteva Agriscience's Meso-Andean Commercial Unit; Laura Tamayo Laris, Vice President of Government Affairs at Bayer; José Manuel Villaverde, shareholder at ASPROS; and Mauricio Pineda Álvarez, General Manager of Grupo Sakata Seed México. The session was moderated by AMSAC President Juan Labastida Blake and Executive Director Mario Puente Raya.
Ramírez Marchand (Corteva) emphasized that collaboration must be reflected in concrete actions, pointing out that public-private partnerships in seeds can "directly impact Mexican agriculture," for example, by making pest-resistant varieties available to farmers or supporting the government's white corn self-sufficiency plan.
Laura Tamayo (Bayer) stressed that successful collaboration with public bodies on innovation and development requires "a much more significant industry effort." She noted that the government's Plan México creates an opportunity for integrated agricultural solutions, representing "the government's willingness to work hand-in-hand with the industry, and in this case, the seed industry, to advance agricultural development in our country."
Manuel Villaverde (ASPROS) said seed companies know their success is closely tied to that of farmers, but new commercial challenges make collaboration urgent, especially on pressing issues such as water efficiency. Expanding cultivated area is no longer a viable solution, he added, given erosion, drought, and other constraints, making seeds a key part of the answer.
Mauricio Pineda (Grupo Sakata) highlighted Mexico's ideal climate, geography, and workforce for producing vegetable seeds, not only for domestic use but for export. However, he noted that stronger intellectual property protections are needed to meet the standards seen in other countries.
Participants agreed on the importance of continuing dialogue to map out collaboration strategies aimed at producing seeds for key crops, strengthening food sovereignty, and boosting productivity in Mexican agriculture.
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