Brussels, Belgium
March 19, 2013

The European Seed Association adopted today a position on “Breeding for the bioeconomy” that outlines why plant breeding is the underpinning science and technology for ensuring the sustainable supply of biomass, which is the basis for the transition towards a biobased economy.

ESA sees value chain approaches and significant investments in biomass transfor-mation techniques as crucial to develop future bio-based products and processes. It is innovation at the very start of the value chain that will generate added value throughout the economy. That is why plant breeding must be considered as a key technology to make the bioeconomy happen.

“The bioeconomy requires a multidisciplinary and partnership approach of which plant breeding is the basis”, comments Garlich von Essen, Secretary General of ESA. “The European plant breeding industry is constantly adapting to new demands from the rest of the value chain. We invest a lot in developing plant varieties that maximise agricultural output and that have specific traits that make them easier to be transformed for a multitude of purposes, including food, feed and industrial uses”.

But new plant varieties are the result of long-term investments, requiring between 8 to 15 years of research, breeding and development. To ensure that plant breeders have the confidence to innovate, a policy framework that supports innovation in agriculture and encourages the uptake of agricultural technologies on the farm is crucial.

To access the full position paper, please click here.

Website: http://www.euroseeds.org

Published: March 19, 2013