National Association of Plant Breeders

Minutes of Meetings and Conference Calls - 2009

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These are the minutes of the National Association of Plant Breeders (an intiative of the Plant Breeding Coordinating Committee).

• Minutes of telephone conference #24 on April 16, 2009
  • Members present: Stephen Baenziger, Tom Blake,Sylvia Cianzio, Donn Cummings, Caron Gala, Karen Moldenhauer, Herb Olm, Tom Stalker, Greg Tolla, Todd Wehner, Linda Wessel-Beaver
  • AFRI Grants (Caron Gala)
    • The PBCC is a federally-sponsored committee; we should not take an advocacy position
    • NAPB is independent; could sign the letter with the societies: ASHS, Nutrition, CSSA, Organics, Sustainable, Rodale, Union of Concerned Scientists, Nematologists
    • The letter asks that the US fund AFRI to its full level of $550 million by 2015, even though the financial situation is not the best; asking for $300 million, increasing annually by $50 million
    • The vote was unanimous (13 present) for co-signing the AFRI support letter
    • The information will be sent to the current NAPB chair (Stephen Baenziger) as a member of the AFRI coalition