February 2010

Source: European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO) News N° 15

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO), which is a good reason to reflect on the past and take a glimpse into the future.

Why did EPSO come into existence?

Many countries around the globe have their national plant science organisations, and so do European countries, some with a long history of excellent plant research. But with the birth of the European Union, the wish became stronger to encourage joint scientific activities across Europe.

The European Commission responded by developing and funding framework programs, in which plant research had to be appropriately recognised. Plant scientists from several European countries recognised the need to have their voice heard in Brussels, and in a bottom-up initiative EPSO was founded in 2000 with the mission to advance plant sciences in Europe.

The first General Meeting in December 2000 had 28 members from 17 countries — an overwhelming success and vote of confidence that EPSO was the appropriate body to represent European plant research. Today, EPSO has 217 institutional members in 27 European countries.

From a strong European basis EPSO is now building a global perspective by inviting selected institutions from outside Europe to expand our international contribution and network. Five institutions from Australia, Japan and New Zealand have already joined EPSO. Together EPSO represents over 28,000 plant scientists and staff, and the number of personal memberships is growing.

Last year EPSO became a founding member of the Global Plant Council, in which we have joined several other large plant organisations from around the world to strengthen the international impact of plant research.

What has made EPSO so successful?

Your efforts in EPSO have brought the need for strong European plant research back into the minds of politicians, government organisations and the public. This will be explained in more detail in the 10th Anniversary Letter that you will receive soon. Much remains to be done, and most likely our work has only begun.

As EPSO has grown into a formidable organisation that is now widely recognised, it will be our collective responsibility to shape the future and to provide a strong vision during times when plant sciences will become even more important to address global challenges.

Plants are the basis of animal and human wellbeing, and plants are central to mitigating climate change and feeding a growing population in sustainable ways. “Plants for the Future”, the Strategic Research Vision and the agenda of the European Technology Platform in which we as EPSO are a major stakeholder, is a promising start. We must now carry a strong message to our European leaders and the public that innovative plant research and discoveries are at the heart of providing solutions for crop improvements, for understanding ecological interdependencies and strengthening ecosystems, and for sustainable agricultural, horticultural and forestry production.

We must engage with the public in an open dialog, also on controversial issues such as genetically modified plants, and get young people excited about working with plants and help them appreciate their importance for the future of our planet.

Many challenges are ahead, and more will surface. But together, as members and partners of EPSO, we are well positioned to tackle them as a strong and responsive research community.

This will require your continued support and engagement, as Institutional Representatives, supporting scientists, Personal Members and partners.

EPSO has already accomplished much in ten years and together we will continue to make changes happen — for the next ten years and many more thereafter.

Wilhelm Gruissem
EPSO President

Website: http://www.epsoweb.org

Published: February 17, 2010