Advance ticket purchase is required. Featured Speaker - Becky Ryan, Hawaii Breeding Lead, Bayer U.S. – Crop Science
An overview of Bayer Crop Science’s operations across the Hawaiian islands. Bayer farms on Oahu, Maui and Molokai have been a part of Hawaii’s agriculture industry for more than 50 years. The corn seed business was started at a time when pineapple and sugar were the main crops grown but today, Bayer is one of the largest contributors to Hawaii agriculture sustainably growing new and innovative varieties of corn and soybeans for farmer’s all over the world. Through modern and improved farming methods, our farms leverage precision breeding techniques with advanced data analytics to grow the precise combination of genetics of corn seed that will thrive on each customer’s farm. Hawaii’s ideal growing climate allows us to sustainably grow biotech seeds that are resistant to pests, disease and unfavorable climates like drought that require less pesticides and less water. As stewards of the rich agriculture history and land, we go through great lengths to conserve the islands natural resources and preserve the soil for the next generation of farmers. Through digital tools, automation, minimum tillage farming, and cover cropping, we’re able to prevent soil erosion, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce our water use to produce high quality sustainable seeds to help feed the world’s growing population. We’re proud to be named one of Hawaii’s Best Places to Work by Hawaii Business Magazine since 2019, an integral part of the community where our employees live and work and volunteer thousands of hours to supporting Bayer’s vision ‘Health for All, Hunger for None.’
Becky Ryan is the Maui Site Lead and Hawaii Breeding Lead within Bayer’s Crop Science Division. In this role, she oversees site operations supporting global corn trait and germplasm development. She is also the senior Bayer representative for the R&D organization within Hawaii. Becky received her B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Rhode Island, and an M.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of New Haven. Becky began her career in the lab as a molecular biologist based in Mystic, CT at DeKalb Genetics, which was acquired by Monsanto in 1998. This is where her passion for agriculture, technology and sustainability began to take root. In her 15 years with Monsanto, she held several roles of increasing responsibility within the corn biotechnology pipeline - including 5 years in Kihei, HI supporting trait development. In 2012, Becky was offered the unique opportunity to utilize her experience and follow her passion for sustainability, taking a role with Sapphire Energy. As the Director of R&D field testing based in Las Cruces, NM, she led a team focused on the development of algae cultivation for biofuels production. Through modeling of row crop field testing strategies, Becky’s team made significant progress in crop protection, nutrient management and processing of algae in open production systems. Following the cutting edge of sustainability and agriculture technology, Becky joined Boston based Indigo Ag in 2016. Leading their Field Sciences team, she was responsible for the development of a global field-testing program in support of microbial seed treatment product development. In this role, she supported Indigo's rapid company growth and expansion of testing capabilities. This work spanned several key row crops and world geographies. In 2020, she returned to Hawaii, becoming the first woman to lead Bayer's Maui site. She continues to leverage her experience in product development with a focus on sustainable approaches to research and technology development. In addition to her technical responsibilities, Becky is driven to support her colleagues and community by furthering inclusion and diversity in science. From middle school science fair judge to Department of Energy grant reviewer, she has embraced a multitude of opportunities to share her expertise and unique experience with others. She is an active member of Bayer's employee-led business resource groups including WiSE (Women in Science Exchange) and W2W (Wahine to Wahine), a Hawaii based group striving to empower women. Outside of work, Becky shares her enthusiasm for the outdoors, travel, gardening and food with her husband and two children.
