Lifetime Achievement Award
sponsored by Plant Impact
Winner
Dr Bob Holm
Shortlisted
Dr Jon Franz
Professor Dr Ingo Potrykus
Professor Marc Van Montagu
T
he Agrow 2007 Lifetime Achievement award differs
from all the others in that it was voted for by Agrow’s
readers. This award is for an exceptional individual who has
The Winner’s Response
a consistent history of service above and beyond the call of
duty throughout his career.
The AGROW Lifetime Achievement Award is one of the highest
tributes I have received in my career and holds a special
We were pleased to have such a distinguished shortlist, which
significance because it also encompasses my 30 years in the
included such leading industry figures as Dr John Franz,
crop protection industry and is an award on a global basis.
Dr Bob Holm, Professor Dr Ingo Potrykus and Professor Marc
Considering the excellent other finalists, I consider the award
Van Montagu.
quite an honour.
The voting was extremely close with each candidate finding
I would like to recognise AGROW and the BCPC for organising
support from a sector of the Agrow readership, but eventually
the award and the people who voted for me. I would especially
a winner became apparent from all of the nominations that
like to recognise my wife, Nancy, for supporting me through 44
you, the readers of Agrow, submitted.
years of marriage including graduate school, my career in the
crop protection industry and finally at IR-4 as Executive Director
Dr Bob Holm has worked for nearly 40 years in the crop
which involved a lot of travel away from home.
protection industry but most of us will know him for his
time with IR-4. One of Bob’s greatest accomplishments has
The current state of the crop protection is, I believe, positive. I
been his ability to develop win-win IR-4 partnerships with
am cautiously optimistic that the many mergers and acquisitions
registrants, commodity groups and regulatory agencies
of the past two decades are slowing and that the industry has
including the EPA, California Department of Pesticide
found a balance between the new crop protection tools, plant
Regulation and Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory
biotechnology and generic products. I also have high hopes
Agency. These partnerships have resulted in thousands
that biologicals will continue to grow both as part of traditional
of food use clearances on reduced risk, safer traditional
agriculture and in organic production. Certainly there are still
chemicals and biopesticides.
numerous problems to overcome. In the US, for example, there
appear to be a number of challenges relating to an aging farmer
population, lack of adequate water to grow crops and shortage
Photo: L-R: Peter Blezard - Plant Impact; Dr Bob Holm;
of labour to harvest specialty crops as well as shrinking land
Gyles Brandreth
availability due to urbanization. However, I have great confidence
that farmers, the crop protection industry, the US Department
of Agriculture and the US land grant agricultural universities will
come up with solutions as they have done so well in the past.
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