Biotech Updates

European Seed Association Asks EU to Recognize Role of Plant Breeding in Addressing Societal Challenges

August 24, 2016

The European Seed Association (ESA), on behalf of the European plant breeding and seed sector, responded to an online consultation on the work programme 2018-2020 of Horizon2020. ESA underlined the priorities for the European plant breeding and seed industry, asking the Commission to recognize the important role of the sector in addressing societal challenges.

Horizon 2020 is the EU Research and Innovation programme with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020), and promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market.

ESA states that to meet future challenges, work will have to focus on sustainable and innovative solutions. Plant genetic resources help breeders develop crop varieties adapted to different climatic conditions, but more knowledge about unexplored resources is required. Pre-breeding research, to first identify and then characterize those resources for all crops, will need to be at the center of the next research and innovation projects.

For more details, read the news release at the ESA website.