In the world of green energy, navigating political waters can be as challenging as developing the technology itself. Just ask Terry Beech, CEO of Terramera, who’s quietly positioning his Vancouver-based agricultural technology company to thrive regardless of which way the political winds blow in Washington.
While many Canadian cleantech executives might approach a potential second Trump administration with trepidation, Beech is taking a different tack. The former Liberal MP has been making strategic inroads with Republican policymakers, recognizing that the next wave of American industrial policy may look quite different from the Biden administration’s climate-focused approach.
“You have to play the long game,” Beech told me during a recent interview at Terramera’s headquarters in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood. “Political cycles come and go, but the fundamental need for food security and agricultural innovation remains constant across partisan lines.”
Terramera, which develops technologies to reduce synthetic pesticide use while boosting crop yields, isn’t your typical cleantech startup. The company’s platform uses computational chemistry and AI to make natural plant-based ingredients more effective. This positions them in an interesting middle ground that appeals to both environmental advocates and agricultural productivity champions.
What makes Beech’s approach noteworthy is his recognition that Republican industrial policy, while skeptical of climate-focused initiatives, remains strongly supportive of food security, domestic manufacturing, and reducing dependency on foreign supply chains – all areas where Terramera can potentially contribute.
“When we talk to Republican lawmakers, we don’t lead with climate benefits. We focus on helping American farmers become more productive and profitable while reducing dependency on imported chemicals,” explains Beech. “That’s a message that resonates across the political spectrum.”
The numbers support this approach. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, America imported nearly $17.4 billion in agricultural chemicals in 2022, with a significant portion coming from China. Reducing this dependency aligns perfectly with the economic nationalism that defined Trump’s first term.
Beech isn’t alone in this pivot. A recent report from RBC Capital Markets suggests that Canadian companies focused on critical materials, food security, and manufacturing technology may find unexpected support in a potential second Trump administration, particularly those that contribute to American economic independence.
“The smartest Canadian executives are preparing for all scenarios,” says Brett House, professor of professional practice in economics at Columbia Business School. “They recognize that while the messaging and priorities might change, there are enduring economic interests that transcend administrations.”
This adaptability requires shedding preconceptions. Many in the cleantech sector have become accustomed to policy frameworks that explicitly prioritize environmental benefits. A Trump administration would likely emphasize different metrics – job creation, economic growth, and reduced dependency on geopolitical rivals.
For Terramera, this flexibility comes naturally. Their technology simultaneously increases farm productivity while reducing chemical inputs – benefits that can be framed differently depending on the audience without changing the fundamental value proposition.
“In conversations with the current administration, we emphasize how our technology reduces the carbon footprint of agriculture. With Republican lawmakers, we highlight how it strengthens American food sovereignty,” Beech notes. “Same technology, different emphasis.”
The strategy extends beyond messaging to concrete policy engagement. Beech has been meeting with Republican congressional staffers working on the next Farm Bill, offering technical expertise on how agricultural innovation can strengthen America’s competitive position.
Canada’s cleantech sector exported nearly $11.9 billion in environmental goods and services to the U.S. in 2022, according to Statistics Canada. Maintaining and growing that trade relationship requires understanding how political shifts affect market opportunities.
Some Canadian companies remain hesitant to engage with the Trump orbit, fearing reputational blowback in progressive-leaning domestic markets. Beech sees this as shortsighted.
“The reality is that governments change, but business relationships endure,” he says. “You can engage constructively with any administration without endorsing every aspect of their platform.”
Terramera’s approach highlights a broader reality for Canadian businesses with U.S. ambitions: adaptability trumps ideological rigidity. Companies that can articulate their value proposition in multiple frameworks – environmental sustainability, economic nationalism, innovation leadership – create multiple paths to success.
As the U.S. election approaches, many Canadian executives are quietly preparing for potential policy shifts while publicly maintaining neutrality. Those preparations include building relationships with policy influencers across the political spectrum and developing messaging that resonates with different audiences.
The lessons from Beech’s playbook apply beyond agriculture. Whether in clean energy, manufacturing, or critical minerals, Canadian companies seeking U.S. market growth need to understand the underlying economic priorities that persist regardless of which party holds power.
“At the end of the day, we’re solving fundamental problems that matter to people regardless of political affiliation,” Beech concludes. “Food security, economic prosperity, reduced chemical use – these aren’t partisan issues, even if the pathways to achieving them might differ.”
For Canadian cleantech looking to thrive in an uncertain political future, that balanced perspective might be the most valuable innovation of all.
