Success Stories on Organic Seed Production & Breeding

Success stories on organic seed production & breeding

Experiences from LIVESEED Cross Visits

www.liveseed.eu Editors Matteo Petitti (RSR), Frederic Rey (ITAB), Monika Messmer (FIBL-CH) & Ágnes Bruszik (IFOAM OE)

Authors Frederic Rey (ITAB), Ágnes Bruszik (IFOAM OE): Introduction Maddalena Moretti (UBIOS), Matteo Petitti (RSR), Abco de Buck (LBI), Katharina Meyer (FIBL-DE): Interviews

July 2020

Photo credits LIVESEED, except for pages: 8-9 Vincent Lefevre; 16-17 © Agrico; 18-19 © Vitalis; 20-21 © Felix Heiber; 22-23 © Bio-Weingut Rummel

This booklet was produced within the LIVESEED project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 727230 and by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) under contract number 17.00090 The information provided reflects the views of the authors. The Research Executive Agency or the SERI are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information provided. 3 Contents

Introduction 4

What is organic seed? 4 Why should we produce and use organic seed and organic cultivars? 5 Producing organic seed 5

LIVESEED Cross-Visits in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany 7

Success stories :

1. Organic seed multiplication on farm 8

2. A cooperative organic seed company 10

3. Organic open pollinated vegetable seed production 12

4. Closing the circle: cereal populations from seed to plate 14

5. Organic potato production by Agrico potato giant 16

6. A leading seed company with ‘organic blood’ in its veins 18

7. On-farm apple breeding by non-profit organization Poma Culta 20

8. Fungus-resistant grapevine breeding 22 4

Introduction

Seeds and their biodiversity are key elements for the development of organic agriculture and for the agro-ecological transition of food systems. The availability of seed and vegetative propagating material that are not only adapted but also adaptable to the diversity of organic farming systems and agro-ecological environments, can boost organic farms’ pro- ductivity, their yield stability and the quality of their end products, while making them more independent from the conventional sector. Yet, although the supply and diversity of organic seed is improving, the majority of organic crop production1 is still based on seed selected for and produced within the conventional sector. Major changes in how seed for organic regimes is bred and multiplied are long overdue, and will involve all the actors of the seed value chain, from producers to final users.

In this context, the LIVESEED project organised a discovery journey through a number of cross-visits in Europe (see chapter 2) with the aim of:

• documenting success stories of organic seed selection and production/ multiplication, • enabling mutual learning among professionals, • forging relationships as a basis for an EU professional network on organic seed • inspiring and initiating change

This booklet illustrates a selection of these success stories. It is based on interviews recorded during the LIVESEED cross-visits in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. All of the farmers, breeders, seed companies or cooperatives portrayed in this publication have something in common: having embarked on a unique and inspiring journey towards becoming leading organic seed producers or breeders of their particular crop. We hope you will be inspired by them!

What is organic seed?

Organic seed is seed of which the organically requires an even more mother plant (if seed) or the parent specific skill set (it is indeed a much plant (if vegetative propagating ma- more risky business to produce seed terial) has been produced following organically than conventionally). the principles of organic agriculture, Seed crops need to stay in the field as laid out by the European organic longer than edible crops to reach full regulations2. seed maturity: this means a higher Seed production is a highly special- risk of weeds, pests, diseases or abi- ised activity and producing seed otic stresses spoiling the harvest.

1 See LIVESEED booklet: “The State of Organic Seed in Europe” https://www.liveseed.eu/wp-content/ uploads/2019/12/FNL-FNL-Web-Interactive-NOV19-Booklet2-LIVESEED_web.pdf 2 EC No 834/2007; EU 2018/848 5

Why should we produce and consumer expectations. All the and use organic seed and above would increase the coherence and credibility of organic agriculture, organic cultivars? making it more independent from conventional agriculture and main- Despite the challenges, there are a stream research & development for number of good reasons for using the seed it requires. organically bred and reproduced In addition, the European organ- seed in organic agriculture. Conduct- ic regulations require that the seed ing seed production under organic and vegetative propagating materi- conditions would create a more fully al used by organic farmers must be coherent value chain (from seed to organic. However, it currently pro- plate) for organic regimes, avoiding vides a series of derogations which all chemical interventions since the allow the use of untreated conven- very beginning. Devising non-chem- tional seed in organic production in ical solutions for the production of a number of cases (Article 22), until organic seed implies investigating 2035. and applying alternative, more sustainable techniques for seed quality and health management. This Producing organic seed process in itself is likely to positive- ly influence the adaptive capacity While organic seed production is a of the resulting seed to the condi- highly specialised trade, it can also tions of organically managed fields represent an attractive income di- in which it will eventually be used. versification strategy for organic Further adaptive advantages of farmers. However, it requires a cer- organically produced seed can be tain level of technical skill and en- achieved through using existing cul- tails specific risks, two aspects that tivars which are known to be better should not be underestimated. capable of striving under low-input The production of certified organic conditions (such as landraces, local seed must comply with the existing varieties or heterogeneous material), European seed and plant propaga- or through breeding specifically for tion directives, as well as with the such traits. Organic plant breeding3 European organic regulations. holds great potential in this direction, The quality standards (germination by generating new cultivars which rate, varietal purity, seed health) are more robust and perform better which apply to the marketing of or- under organic conditions, both as ganic seed are the same as those for food and as seed crops, while also conventional seed: when the quality responding to present-day producer doesn’t meet the set thresholds, cer-

For technical resources and useful tools on organic seed production and plant breeding please visit the new “seed” section on www.organic-farmknowledge.org

3 https://www.fibl.org/fileadmin/documents/shop/1202-plant-breeding.pdf 6

tification will be denied, leading to the cultivation of seed crops, espe- a net loss to the seed multiplier un- cially for biennial vegetable species less the seed production contract in- that can stay in the field for over 12 cludes some form of guarantee. Such months: carrot for instance is sown a contract is drawn up between a at the beginning of August of year 1 seed company and the farmer/seed and seed is harvested at the end of multiplier before the crop is grown, August of year 2; leek, the absolute laying down the rights and obliga- champion in terms of cycle length, tions of each party and the condi- takes 17 to 18 months to produce tions of remuneration. Risk-sharing seed! Weed control under organic clauses can be difficult to determine conditions tends to generate high in advance, which is why it is impor- labour costs (accounting for up to tant to get advice before committing 30-70% of the total seed production oneself. For reasons related to biol- costs), and is among the main rea- ogy (autogamy, allogamy), life cycle sons for the extra price of organic (annual, biennial), and weed or pest seed on the market. In some cases it and disease management, some is extremely difficult to sort out cer- species are “easier” to multiply than tain weeds whose seeds closely re- others. Seed production is generally semble those of the crop itself.

Producing and using more organic seed and cultivars can: • ensure the operation of fully organic value chains from seed to plate • foster the development of seed production and seed quality management techniques specific to the organic sector • boost breeding and selection activities specifically tailored to the needs of organic farmers and the market they serve • enhance the credibility and independence of the organic sector

more predictable with annuals (e.g. This can heavily depreciate the seed lettuce, chicory, cucurbits and sola- lot, sometimes even leading to its naceae), and more uncertain with rejection. It is therefore preferable to biennials (carrot, cabbage or onion) accurately plan weed control strat- due to their longer cycle and greater egies even before planting the crop weed and disease challenges. (including preparing the plot appro- However, even some annual seed priately, performing advanced or crops, although apparently easy to false sowing, hoeing in pre-emer- grow, can present technical chal- gence and other possible solutions) lenges: for example threshing of and to be equipped with suitable small batches or bacterial blight and tools. Adapted irrigation equipment weevil attacks can be a problem for is also essential for carrying out beans, broad beans and peas. some of these weed control strate- Weed control is the trickiest issue in gies successfully. 7

LIVESEED Cross-Visits in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany

The LIVESEED cross-visits4 took applied elsewhere. The French cases place in June 2018 (France), June describe the activities of organic ce- 2019 (Italy), October 2019 (the Neth- real farmer and seed producer Vin- erlands) and May 2020 (Germany cent Lefevre, and those of UBIOS, an and Switzerland5). They primarily organic seed cooperative which pro- targeted organic farmers, advisors, duces and commercialises seeds of seed producers and multipliers, arable crops and with whom Lefevre breeders, and to a lesser extent re- successfully collaborates (as seed searchers, national authorities, pro- multiplier). The Italian cases include cessors, retailers, seed health and a short value chain model involving quality officials. Most of the partici- the Floriddia organic Farm (which pants who attended the visits came grows cereal Organic Heterogene- from Member States where organic ous Materials and conservation va- seed production is less developed, rieties), and a vegetable seed coop- such as Poland, Hungary, Romania, erative whose activities stem from Bulgaria, Greece, Spain and Portu- breeding to seed processing (in a gal. The methodology for structured dedicated organic seed processing learning which was followed was facility). The two examples from the partly adapted from the approach Netherlands highlight two different developed within the AgriSpin pro- models and scales under which or- ject’s cross visits6. In each of the ganic seed production can be made countries, an effort was made to successful: the (initially small) veg- cover different crop groups and pe- etable seed company Vitalis, and do-climatic conditions, as well as the seed potato giant Agrico which different aspects of seed production engages farmers in the production and socio-economic and organisa- of organic seed potatoes. The cases tional seed production models. The from Germany and Switzerland tar- choice of the examples presented get organic fruit propagation: a suc- in this booklet reflects this diversity cessful selection and marketing of of aspects but also keeps in mind modern organic apple varieties, and the transferability of each case, a well-working model for the prop- highlighting the success that was agation and processing of organic achieved in-country and the possibly grapevine. different scales at which it could be

4 https://www.liveseed.eu/results/wp2/reports-cross-visits/ 5 Due to the Covid-19 emergency, the German & Swiss cross visit took place in the form of a series of webinars 6 https://agrispin.eu/about/ 8

1. Organic seed multiplication on farm Preserving diversity with Vincent Lefevre, France

Conventional breeding and selection is usually performed in fertile soils and under optimal conditions. My farm is not like that. So I had to find something different to grow and I made a different choice. Instead of uniformity and high input varieties, I choose dynamic populations. And I choose to produce them myself.

Could you please describe your work with organic seed or other plant reproductive material (PRM)? What makes your approach unique? I work on three aspects of organic seed production: • I multiply cereal and pulse seed (wheat, rye and peas) for UBIOS (see next interview, page 10). • I conserve heritage germplasm collections: I started with 35 populations and now I have about 100. I test them to check for their adaptation capacity in my tough soil conditions and keep those mixtures that appear to be best adapted to my context, letting Business name: them adapt dynamically. I also Vincent Lefevre Ferme Bio try to select dynamic populations adapted to specific crop systems such as intercropping with clo- Location: vers, or which have high quality Puisaye region, and taste traits. annual rainfall 740 mm • I participate in breeding programs to create new composite Area: cross populations (CCP) with 220 ha INRAE (Isabelle Goldringer). I like diversity and I do my best to develop it on my farm. Soil type: mostly hydromorphic, shallow, Why are you producing organic heavy textured (silty clay), seed/PRM? with a high content of flint-type stones (>25 %). The reason why I produce organic seed is that there is a need for it, Crops: and UBIOS is capable of providing cereals, legumes, green manures. good quality planting material for All intercropped, except for seed crops. organic farmers in France. I also do it because I enjoy the technical challenges of seed production: sowing, Workforce: sorting, harvesting and storing. I am 1 to 3 depending on season also interested in the added value that seed production provides. 9

When did you start? has been important to me. During the cross-visit on my farm I met peo- I started in 2013, since my establish- ple with whom I’m still in touch. We ment as a farmer but my father used exchange tools and tricks that help to multiply seed for Cocebi since me improve my knowledge and my 2000. procedures. Is it economically viable? Or which What are you most proud of? other benefits do you see in producing organic seed/PRM? I’m proud of my breeding work to obtain heterogeneous material, which Yes, it is economically viable. An ex- is more adapted to my fields and to tra price is paid for crops used as my crop management techniques. seed. It’s about 60 €/t for cereals, I’m proud of my fields. In June, when and 120 €/t for protein crops. The the wheat ears come out, I look at latter are harder to produce because their different colours and shapes their seeds are more delicate and and find it wonderful. I’m very proud less durable, so extra attention must to be part of UBIOS, which today is be paid during harvest and storage. able to provide high quality seed to It is a technical challenge and this organic farmers in France. And fi- is an indirect benefit to me. Another nally I’m proud to participate in the benefit is the connection with other small revolution that is taking place farmers who share my passion for and that will bring breeding back in diversity and maintenance of herit- the hands of farmers. age crops. What are your plans for the future? What are the main success factors? I hope there will be more breed- Passion and motivation are neces- ing activities targeting heteroge- sary because seed multiplication neous material and that diversity and conservation need more time will become more important as an and more care than simply produc- end product of breeding programs. ing grain crops. Rigour is needed to This will allow farmers and society prevent cross-contamination with in general to face climate change other varieties or with weeds. through the development of a more An important success factor is also resilient agriculture. This goes hand being part of a network that gath- in hand with a greater involvement ers highly professional and skilled of farmers, not only in the organic people, be they farmers like myself seed multiplication phase but also in or technical advisors who work for the definition of the selection guide- organic cooperatives. Being part of lines. a European project like LIVESEED 10

2. A cooperative organic seed company Producing organic seed of arable crops with UBIOS, France Interview with the president, Jean-Pierre Bouchet

As organic farmers, autonomy is an important part of our overall strategy. Our ambition is to master the whole chain of organic production, from seed to the final product. We believe that seed production plays a key role and has to be managed by organic farmers themselves.

Could you please describe your work with organic seed or other plant reproductive material (PRM)? What makes your approach unique? Our work on seed starts when we receive grain lots from farmers’ multiplication fields, and we trans- form them into ready-to-use seed. To get there, we have to sort them accurately, in order to eliminate any foreign or damaged element (weed seed, broken or irregular grains, dust, stones). Germination and other tests are done to ensure performance and health. All wheat seeds are treated with vinegar, and lots that are too Business name: contaminated with common bunt Union Bio Semences (UBIOS) are not sold as seed. Then seeds are bagged and prepared for delivery. Location: We produce organic seed of a wide Maisse, France diversity of species. We never refuse Area: any lots as long as they respect the Seed crops are grown by a health and germination standards. network of 40 farmers belonging Our only limit can be our sorting ca- to the cooperatives Biocer and pacity concerning weed seeds. Cocebi Why are you producing organic Crops: seed/PRM? Seed production of wheat, barley, oat, triticale, spelt, pea, lentils, Because it makes sense! Organic buckwheat, faba bean, rye, and farming has its own needs which alfalfa. require specific solutions. Organic seed crops are often contaminat- Assets: ed with weeds. Conventional seed The company holds a certification companies are not ready to accept laboratory approved by the and process this kind of product national authority (SOC). because it needs more time, more Employees: knowledge and more specific tools 10 than what they are prepared to en- gage in, especially considering that organic seed production is often only Website: http://unionbiosemences.fr/ a small share of their activity. As a 11

result, many seed lots are refused. nal seed bag. We have acquired this This is a huge loss for farmers. knowledge over time. We ensure a high quality level for What would your advice be for our seed, and farmers may repro- someone who wishes to become a duce our seed on-farm. Once again, seed producer? autonomy is promoted. Our advice to create an organic When did you start? seed company is to start providing We started in 2011. Before, cooper- high-performance sorting tools to atives Biocer and Cocebi produced farmers. This will reduce the time organic seed alongside their grain and costs of processing at the fac- producing activity, but these two tory. Once the farmers are well activities soon entered into conflict: equipped, it is easier to go forward. after the harvest, the sorting ma- The second advice is to find expe- chines which were usually used for rienced staff, in the specific field of grain sorting were needed for seed organic seed production. sorting and this had a negative im- What are you most proud of? pact on their grain production sector. Moreover, the two cooperatives We are organic farmers and we cre- were growing fast and needed to ated a seed company which has a invest in seed production machines direct connection with the needs of anyway. This is why we choose to organic farmers themselves. create a specific, separate seed pro- UBIOS allows us to be independent duction activity. and self-governing. We are proud of our highly professional staff. And we Is it economically viable? Or which are proud of the high quality of our other benefits do you see in pro- product. ducing organic seed/PRM? What are your plans for the future? The high quality standards that we impose on our product make it ex- We would like to produce seed of pensive. Until last year our seed pro- crops that can be sown later than duction was not viable, because we cereals (for example legumes like wanted to stay competitive in terms beans or soy). This would optimise of prices. Seed processing required a the factory’s operations guarantee- great amount of time and we should ing seed production throughout the have produced larger amounts to year. And, at the same time, it would make the factory profitable. We increase the diversity of our crop- could have made much more money ping systems. if we had chosen to select only the cleanest lots and to multiply only the most widely cultivated varieties. But this is not our goal. So we had to increase the seed prices this year, which has led to economic sustainability. What are the main success factors? Our main success factor is the high seed quality and the crop diversity that we provide. Organic seed production is not easy. There is a huge need for knowledge and experience on sorting and processing organic seed lots, starting when the harvested seed enters the factory, to the fi- 12

3. Organic open pollinated vegetable seed production Interview with Antonio Lo Fiego, Arcoiris & CAC, Italy Arcoiris is a pioneer of organic seed production with a particular regard for biodiversity. Since 1988 it has been producing organic seed of open pollinated varieties. The company specialises in vegetables, cover crops, conservation varieties and evolutionary populations of cereals. Arcoiris has recently joined forces with Cooperativa Agricola Cesenate (CAC), a leading seed producing cooperative at EU level.

Could you please describe your work with organic seed or other plant reproductive material (PRM)? What makes your approach unique? Arcoiris is the only seed company in Italy that is supported by 100% Italian capital and produces exclu- sively organic seed. All our vegetable production takes place in Italy, thanks to agreements with producers/multipliers whose fields are fully certified organic. As a company, we chose to deal with open pollinated Business name: varieties and not to use hybrids. Our Arcoiris Sementi & Cooperativa core business are vegetable crops, Agricola Cesenate (CAC) followed in order of importance by Seed company cover crops, cereal conservation varieties and heterogeneous popula- Location: tions. A portion of our work consists Cesena, Emilia Romagna in “rescuing” landraces and making (Central Italy) their seed available on the market: Area: over the past few years we’ve regis- production is undertaken through tered (or supported the registration the CAC’s cooperative network of) 12 vegetable landraces “with no (2100 farmers of which 105 intrinsic value for commercial crop organic) and seed processed at production”7; we collaborate with CAC’s dedicated organic plant. Slow Food to rescue the seed of those varieties whose end products Crops: vegetables, cover crops, cereals, are registered in their list of Presidia. legume Our main market is the Mediterrane- an region (Italy, Spain, Portugal), but Turnover: in recent years we have witnessed Arcoiris: € 800k, 100% organic; increased market space in France, CAC € 34mln of which 5% organic Germany, the Netherlands, the UK Employees: and Sweden. We are among the Arcoiris 5; CAC 220 few seed companies which offer a broad range of organic cover crops. Website: And since 2017 we have been com- https://arcoiris.it/en/home & http:// mercializing heterogeneous popu- www.cacseeds.it/ lations of bread wheat (Bioadapt, 7 According to Directive 2009/145/EC 13

Bioappennino, Bread mix Tuscany atives in Europe. This collaboration 1, Bread mix Tuscany PA1) and du- has brought important benefits to rum wheat (Evoldur and Durum mix both partners. CAC inherited a fully Tuscany PA1) within the temporary functional and already well-known experiment 2014/150/EU, as well as organic seed brand, allowing the or- wheat, emmer and millet conserva- ganic members of the cooperative tion varieties. We are working on the to immediately get engaged in pro- selection of three local varieties of T. duction and multiplication of organic turanicum (Khorasan wheat), having seed. Arcoiris benefited from a con- requested and obtained the creation sistent quality improvement in the of the voluntary register of Khoras- whole process of seed production an wheat from the Italian Ministry of and multiplication, thanks to CAC’s Agriculture. long-lasting experience and efficient seed handling infrastructure. Why are you producing organic seed/PRM? When did you start? What would your advice be for someone who wishes to become a The original founders of Arcoiris in seed producer? 1998 were four organic/biodynamic farmers, together with an agron- The organic seed market is growing omist and a person with a back- and will be doing so even more over ground in management: the choice the next few years, when deroga- to produce organic seed came as a tions will be definitely phased out. natural response to our desire to fos- So now is definitely a good moment ter and support organic agriculture to enter the playing field. Opportu- and agricultural biodiversity, provid- nities can also come from the pos- ing farmers with a product which, at sibility to create small regional seed the time, barely existed on the Italian companies for the production of or- seed market. ganic seed within local value chains geared towards the production of Is it economically viable? Or which healthy, artisanal foodstuffs. other benefits do you see in producing organic seed? What are you most proud of? The company as a whole is certain- We are most proud to have con- ly self-sustainable. The sectors with tributed to the conservation and the best turnover are vegetables sustainable use of agricultural bio- and cover crops. On its own, the diversity, as within the recent effort production and marketing of cere- to study and commercialize heter- al conservation varieties and het- ogeneous populations of cereals, in erogeneous populations would not which we were involved together be economically viable. This means with Rete Semi Rurali and the Uni- that our leading sectors contribute versities of Florence and Bologna. to the sustainable use of agricultur- What are your plans for the future? al biodiversity (which is not currently self-sustainable per se), and this In the past few years, we have start- responds to a deliberate choice from ed producing organic seed for a few our side. We certainly are very proud seed companies from Northern Eu- to be contributing to safeguarding rope. This is an expanding market, and spreading agricultural biodiver- compared to the amateur and hobby sity. gardener sectors which I believe will lose importance. There’s a strong What are the main success factors? growth in the request for organic We are now associated to the CAC cover crops, particularly for the fruit (Cooperativa Agricola Cesenate and wine sectors: we are already based in Cesena), one of the most producing tailor-made mixtures for important seed producing cooper- specific farms. 14

4. Closing the circle: cereal populations from seed to plate Interview with Rosario Floriddia, farmer, processor and seed producer at Floriddia organic farm, Italy The Floriddia farm is a pioneer in innovation and valorisation of organic products. Specialized in high quality cereal products (flour, pasta, bread), it considers seed quality the central element of its fully closed value chain. Since 2010, Floriddia has been growing bread wheat populations, and since 2017 it started producing and marketing certified organic seed.

Could you please describe your work with organic seed or other plant reproductive material (PRM)? What makes your approach unique? We are an organic cereal farm, producing organic heterogenous cereal seed in the framework of the European temporary experiment (2014/150/EU). I wouldn’t consider our work unique, as there are many other organic seed producers around, but certainly special because we are a farm that, on top of producing and transforming its own crops into foodstuffs (flour, pasta), is also producing certified seed of ce- Business name: real populations. Azienda agricola Floriddia Why are you producing organic seed/PRM? Location: Peccioli, Pisa, Italy As a member of Rete Semi Rurali (the Italian Seed Network) and as a Area: farm with many links with our local 200 ha of which 13 ha devoted to organic farming community, we felt organic heterogeneous material that there was a need for someone seed production to take on the challenge of producing enough quantity of quality seed Crops: of cultivars that were suitable for cereals, legumes and green organic cultivation and that could manures provide products of high nutritional value and digestibility8. We initially Turnover: started using local varieties of du- € 700k rum and bread wheat, then moved on to using populations. These have the added value of offering good Employees: yield stability year after year, which 9 makes us optimistic in relation to the challenges posed by climate change. Website: During our journey from trialling https://www.ilmulinoapietra.com/ unusual local varieties, to becom-

8 See: Dinu, et al. “Ancient wheat species and human health: Biochemical and clinical implications” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955286317300359 15

ing a licenced seed producer of ce- bine harvester and a mill with a real populations, we realised the modern grain seed cleaning plant. importance of becoming legitimate All we had to do really, was to in- owners of our own seed. Producing tensify our quality and plant health certified seed represents a strategic controls in the field prior to harvest goal for us: when your value chain is and setting up the administrative based on certified seed, nobody can side of the seed company to fulfil the challenge the legitimacy of its use requirements. and question the products derived What would your advice be for from it. This applies both to our own someone who wishes to become a business, and that of the farms that seed producer? buy our seed. My advice is directed to other farm- When did you start? ers, who may have the right set-up The first production of certified seed to becoming a seed company for the of a bread wheat population9 start- production of organic heterogene- ed in 2017 with the backup and ous material. Before even thinking of support of the organic seed compa- starting, look around and evaluate ny Arcoiris. In 2019 we obtained the if there is a real need or gap in your seed producing licence, becoming community or network for certified a seed company. However, we’ve seed. If that gap is there, one can been experimenting and producing think of starting this journey, oth- our own seed for over 15 years. In erwise there is no need to replicate 2005 we started introducing local what professional companies are al- varieties in our value chain, and in ready doing. 2010 we acquired the first wheat What are you most proud of? and barley populations. The feeling of having reclaimed a Is it economically viable? Or which small portion of freedom. Knowing other benefits do you see in pro- that I have my own certified seed ducing organic seed/PRM? gives me a sense of financial secu- The economic advantages of be- rity and a great reason of pride. I am coming a seed producer are two- also proud of the acknowledgement fold: we don’t have to buy certified and recognition received from pub- seed elsewhere, and we make some lic bodies and research institutions profit selling a quality product for a during this process. We were very good price. In our case we can say pleased to see that seed certifying that the production of seed is finan- body CREA-DC had a genuine inter- cially viable and contributes a small est in our work. additional profit to the overall farm What are your plans for the future? budget. However, increasing the farm’s revenue wasn’t our primary The recent Covid-19 emergency goal. What we want is to foster a highlighted the positive role that ag- community-based model of agricul- riculture can and should play in the ture, as opposed to the dominating transition of our food systems from global materialism. Our farm gains an industrial to a localised model. enormously from becoming self-suf- Using seed that works in synergy ficient with relation to seed, a vitally with nature brings many benefits to strategic objective for us. our society. Being able to produce food which is good for our health What are the main success factors? using considerably less energy, is a In our case, it’s important to clari- strong incentive to strengthen our fy that we didn’t have to make any communities and move toward in- capital investments to become seed creased self-sufficiency at local level. producers. We already had a com-

9 Created at the International Centre for Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) in 2009 by Salvatore Ceccarelli and Stefania Grando and introduced in Italy in 2010 during EU FP7 SOLIBAM project. The population was registered as part of 2014/150/EU as “SOLIBAM tenero Floriddia”. 16

5. Organic potato production by Agrico potato giant Interview with Daniël Slegers, account manager at the Agrico cooperative, The Netherlands From the mid-eighties, Agrico started its first breeding program on Late Blight resistant potato varieties, resulting in a first commercial variety in 2008. This was the basis for the company’s current leading position with resistant and well performing varieties for the organic market and the chip and crisp sector.

Could you please describe your work with organic seed or other plant reproductive material (PRM)? What makes your approach unique? Daniël’s work focuses on the sale of organic potatoes for table potato production. In the Netherlands, potato breeding companies organize the production of their seed potatoes in so-called pools with seed potato farmers. In these pools, production and market risks are levelled. The account manager strives to obtain the best overall seed potato price that is paid to all participating farm- Business name: ers at the end of the sales season. Agrico The Dutch system in which variety development, seed production and Location: seed sales are integrated is unique Emmeloord, The Netherlands in the world and one of the success Area: factors for the potato industry in the 14,000 ha seed potato (250 country. Amongst the Dutch potato ha organic) and 2000 ha ware companies, Agrico is the only coop- potatoes (500 ha organic) erative owned by seed producers themselves. Furthermore, Agrico has Crops: a strong position in the consumers’ Seed potatoes, including Next market thanks to subsidiaries and Generation blight resistant participations. cultivars Why are you producing organic seed/PRM? Scope: Cooperative with 900+ members The market for organic table pota- (ware and seed potato growers). toes is rapidly growing, also in the Has its own packing station and Netherlands. Agrico occupies about research branch (Agrico Research) 40% of the organic market share thanks to a good portfolio of vari- Employees: eties which meet consumers’ de- 100 in NL and 200+ in subsidiaries mands. For Daniël, it is a pleasure in 8 countries to work on behalf of very dedicated and knowledgeable organic seed Website: producers and in close contact with https://en.agrico.nl/ customers and farmers. 17

When did you start? varieties under an organic label. This approach caught international at- Agrico was established back in tention and has been copied in Bel- 1973 as a merger of 3 cooperatives. gium already. Company-wise, short It started developing varieties for communication lines and chain in- organic farming already in the late tegration are other success factors; eighties, resulting in the first Late Daniël is also involved in production Blight resistant variety ‘Toluca’ in planning, monitoring of quality and 2008. quantity of (stored) potatoes and Is it economically viable? Or which logistics. other benefits do you see in pro- What are you most proud of? ducing organic seed/PRM? Daniël is proud to work for a large The main determinant of economic player in the market and the ‘just viability is the final seed potato price do it’ mentality. Working in the or- that is achieved for the producers’ ganic sector is very fulfilling, as for- pool. The average gross margin for ward-thinking, sustainability and growing organic seed potato is com- economy come together. petitive amongst the crops which compose a typical Dutch organic What are your plans for the future? crop rotation. Another aspect is that To have at least one robust, resist- varieties for organic farming provide ant variety for each segment of the more certainty, as they are typically organic market, that is productive Late Blight resistant and more resil- under a wide range of conditions. ient to unfavourable growing condi- To date Agrico provides potato va- tions. rieties for cooking, both firm (waxy) What are the main success factors? and mealy (starchy) types, as well as What would your advice be for a resistant crisp variety. A major trait someone who wishes to become a of a robust variety is a durable Late seed producer? Blight resistance that holds under heavy infestation pressure. In the fu- Success starts with a good variety, ture, Agrico only wants to have du- capable of growing under a wide rable resistance, based on ‘stacked’ range of favourable and unfavour- combinations of resistance genes able conditions and for which there within one variety. The greatest is a demand in multiple countries. challenge is to develop organic va- Another unique success factor in rieties for the crisps and French fries the Netherlands is the agreement industries, as the specifications are between breeders, growers, traders skin-tight and the monetary returns and supermarkets to sell only ‘ro- for the processor is what counts. bust’ (resistant and resilient) potato 18

6. A leading seed company with ‘organic blood’ in its veins Interview with Marcel van Diemen, breeder at Vitalis Organic Seeds, the Netherlands Vitalis is the world market leader in the development and production of organic vegetable seed. The company operates along the whole organic seed chain, from breeding to marketing and sales. Vitalis is growing rapidly: the worldwide increasing demand for healthy, organic food fits in seamlessly with the high- quality organic vegetable varieties that Vitalis has in its portfolio.

Could you please describe your work with organic seed or other plant reproductive material (PRM)? What makes your approach unique? Marcel van Diemen is a breeder of winter squash and leafy crops (lettuce, endive and spinach). Vita- lis’ unique approach is to develop Business name: organic varieties which serve the Vitalis Organic Seeds (part of needs of local markets and short Enza Zaden group) vegetable value chains. For this, Headquarters location: Marcel has ‘organic’ colleagues all Voorst, The Netherlands over the world. Employees: Why are you producing organic 35 (at headquarters) seed/PRM? Crops: The Vitalis team is convinced that Vegetable seed organic farming can have a huge Production: role both in feeding the world and The organic seed production is in taking care of our planet to the carried out through contracts benefit of future generations. Or- with third parties in the EU ganic breeding and seed production (Netherlands, Denmark, Italy), enable the growth of the organic North and South America, Asia farming sector by providing strong, and New-Zealand. resilient varieties and high-quality seed, which are perfectly adapted to Breeding: organic growing conditions. Vitalis currently breeds several leafy crops, cucurbits and leek. When did you start? The portfolio of organic varieties, however, is much broader. The The founder of Vitalis, Jan Velema, varieties with the best resistance together with Edith Lammerts van and a strong root system are Bueren, Emeritus professor of Or- selected from the Enza Zaden ganic Plant Breeding at Wagenin- breeding programmes. These gen University, made the first plans varieties are then tested under to start organic breeding in the strict organic conditions, before Netherlands in the early nineties, the production of organic seed for based on the evident lack of regis- the market starts. tered vegetable varieties specifically Website: suited for organic farming. In 1994, https://eu.biovitalis.eu/ Vitalis Organic Seeds was founded, 19

based on the grounds of an organ- rate, seed vigour, disease incidence, ic farm site with fertile soils in the and other quality traits. centre of the country. In 1998, Vita- What are you most proud of? lis joined the Enza Zaden vegetable breeding company. Marcel started Working for a fantastic company as a breeder at Enza Zaden in 1991 with the broadest organic vegeta- and moved to Vitalis by 2011. ble seed portfolio in the world and an excellent reputation is a reason Is it economically viable? Or which for pride. In an interview, a Vita- other benefits do you see in pro- lis customer once mentioned that ducing organic seed/PRM? he trusted that “Vitalis makes the For sure it is economically viable; right choices regarding new breed- look at the increasing worldwide de- ing techniques”. This appreciation is mand for healthy, organic food. This another important point to be proud drives our growth rates in terms of of, and we need to work hard to pre- organic seed sales. Unfortunately, serve such a relationship of trust. the market for organic products in Good communication is key in this the Netherlands is lagging behind respect. those of Spain, Germany, France or What are your plans for the future? the US. Besides being economically viable, organic seed production has In terms of our own company, since a lot of other benefits for our planet, we are growing, our seed clean- starting with less plant protection ing and packaging facilities will be products used even in the seed pro- moved close to the Enza Zaden plant duction phase. At the end of the day, in Enkhuizen. In more general terms, it is a highly satisfying endeavour. we are observing more and more organic growers wishing to enter the What are the main success factors? organic market. Thanks to this, the What would your advice be for organic seed sector will also grow someone who wishes to become a from a niche to a large-scale market, seed producer? increasing the volumes of organic Be confident and just do it! Also, seed available and bringing prices good partners and clients are es- down. To further support the devel- sential to allow optimal positioning opment of the organic sector, much on the market. These are the most more institutional research should important pieces of advice for es- be conducted. However, as it stands, tablishing a successful breeding no professor for organic plant breed- and seed production program. In ing has been reappointed at Wage- addition to breeding and reproduc- ningen university. This results in a ing good-performing varieties, seed very sparse research effort for the quality should also be the highest organic sector, compared to the con- possible, in terms of germination ventional one. 20

7. On-farm apple breeding by non-profit organization Poma Culta Interview with Niklaus Bolliger, breeder and founder of Poma Culta, Switzerland As a biodynamic fruit farmer, Niklaus Bolliger was looking for new possibilities to create high performing varieties, which did not require high inputs for pest control. In other words, he was selecting and crossbreeding for cultivars which could meet the high quality standards of the market, while also being robust and healthy.

Could you please describe your work with organic seed or other plant reproductive material (PRM)? What makes your approach unique? I do on-farm apple breeding only, since my opinion is that selection and breeding should take place within the plants’ actual growth environment. I also believe that seedlings should not be treated with pesticides. This helps to identify the seedlings that will prove themselves in practice. After two years of cultivation, you can already appreciate, in a holistic perspective, how suitable an apple variety is. After that, I start with minimal pesticide treatment (Myco-Sin and bicarbonate without Organisation name: any sulphur - I do not use copper or Poma Culta sulphur because of personal and po- litical conviction). This is also when Località: I begin the second selection stage: 4577 Hessigkofen (Switzerland) 2-20% of the seedlings will come to fruit. I can judge the fruits and their Area: storability. Only 5% will reach the 15 ha organic vegetable and fruit third selection stage, where I assess farm with livestock (of this 1 ha is many agronomic parameters such reserved for breeding and 0,5 ha as tree growth, yield, robustness of for fruit production) the variety, etc. Turnover: Why are you producing organic € 400 k seed/PRM? Crops: The quantity of pesticides that was fruit and vegetable crops necessary to produce fruit for the Employees: market simply felt wrong, and led 5 full-time employees (2 of them me to believe that this could not be are family members) the ecologically correct way to produce food. Hence, we needed to de- Website: velop robust varieties to reduce the https://pomaculta.org/en/ burden on the environment. pomaculta/ 21

When did you start? What are the main success factors? What would your advice be for My wife Regula Bolliger-Flury and someone who wishes to become a I have managed the biodynam- seed producer? ic vegetable and fruit farm Rigi since 1985. In the late 90s, I start- It is very important to do the breed- ed selecting and crossbreeding. The ing in the crops’ natural growth en- non-profit organisation Poma Culta vironments. I am trying to reduce the was founded in 2004 to support my time the seedlings are grown OUT of efforts to breed new apple varieties their natural environment (e.g. in the and in general, to promote research greenhouse), as much as possible. into biodynamic fruit breeding. In I conduct all selection phases out- 2017 I was able to plant 20 trees of doors. Another advice I would give 6 varieties in different locations for is to start out with as many seed- further testing. I would describe two lings as possible. I grow 4.000 seed- of these varieties as excellent and lings per year and think that 10.000 two as average. The remaining two seedlings are the maximum. Every- have been replaced with other vari- one needs to find their own balance. eties, as I was not happy with their However, one must be aware that performance. only 2-20% of these seedlings will come to fruit and only 5% of them Is it economically viable? Or which will reach the second phase of selec- other benefits do you see in pro- tion. That’s the reason why I prefer ducing organic seed/PRM? to start with many seedlings. I am financing the apple breeding What are you most proud of? with around 20% revenue from my own farm and around 80% with I am proud of my breeding lines: they funding from Poma Culta. In the first all have really good pulp quality and year, when Poma Culta was estab- are also robust and genetically di- lished, it provided around € 20k and verse. today, 15 years later, it is around € What are your plans for the future? 200k. However, Poma Culta was not only helpful with funding my breed- We have just recently applied for ing work; it also brought together public funding for a pear breeding many people sharing a similar inter- project. It will be nice to expand our est, who helped me in many other work on a different fruit species, ways. while of course continuing our apple breeding program. 22

8. Fungus-resistant grapevine breeding Collaboration across the Swiss/German border - Interview with Klaus Rummel, with contributions from Valentin Blattner and Volker Freytag This joint adventure of three pioneers wishes to achieve one goal: environmental-friendly wine production using PIWIs (Pil- zwiderstandsfähige Rebsorten in German, i.e. fungus-resistant grapevine varieties). Their activities consist in crossbreeding and strengthening natural resistance, with the aim of reducing the use of plant protection agents to the minimum.

Could you please describe your work with organic seed or other plant reproductive material (PRM)? What makes your approach unique? I am engaged in fungus-resistant grapevine breeding with two colleagues: Valentin Blattner, a breeder and viticulturist from Switzerland, and Volker Freytag, a transplant grower from nearby. We collaborate closely and share responsibilities. The PIWIs are our joint adventure. Valentin Blattner does the crossbreeding and first selection. Promis- ing cultivars are then cultivated and further tested at Rebschule Freytag. Volker Freytag also does the multiplication and grafting. I am responsible for the winemaking, marketing and sales. Something I want to clar- Place: ify is that a PIWI variety is not 100% 76829 Landau-Nussdorf resistant to fungi. They are fungus (Germany) tolerant, within a context of moderate fungus management. Fungi can Area: break tolerances over time. If you 15 ha want to preserve and maintain the crossbred resistance of the grape- Turnover: vine variety, you need a moderate € 650k plant protection management. The intensity of the management de- Crops: 30 different grapevine varieties pends on the variety, its genetics, (white and red), 15 of them are the annual weather conditions, etc. PIWIs Nevertheless, you must be careful to reduce fungal pressure since there is Employees: a possibility that the fungi will by- 5 full-time employees (3 of them pass the resistances. are family members) Why are you producing organic Website: seed/PRM? https://rummel-biowein.de/ We are doing this work because of weingut/ my own and our collective convic- 23

tion. When I took over the vineyards I would say no, we are not viable. In from my father, I decided to grow other words, if you are too lazy to the grapevines organically and at educate consumers, you shouldn’t the same time my interest in fun- cultivate PIWIs. But with PIWIs we gus-resistant varieties grew. I knew have much better yield stability and that the commonly used grapevine we have more freedom, in terms of varieties would not have worked for not being so heavily dependent on me. They bear a high risk of fungus tight spraying times. Grapevine is infestation, which can be avoided a very expensive crop to breed and only by applying high amounts of therefore is normally the task of pesticides and copper. The environ- public institutions. However, we did mental impact is tremendous and I our breeding work on our own and did not want to go down that path. financed it privately. We were and I knew that breeding would allow us still are pioneers of the PIWI breed- to seek and find naturally resistant ing and invest what we have avail- varieties that would not need chem- able. Our team has been successful icals and still result in high-quality for many years now. wine. Back then, people laughed at What are the main success factors? me and did not think that I would be What would your advice be for successful. However, I never doubt- someone who wishes to become a ed my idea and knew that this is the seed producer? right way for me, the environment and future generations. For my part, I would say that soft skills are particularly important, es- When did you start? pecially for persuading consumers. In 1986, when I took over the busi- You must be eloquent, ambitious and ness from my father. positive about what you do. There is no master plan. Is it economically viable? Or which other benefits do you see in pro- What are you most proud of? ducing organic seed/PRM? Of making it this far! Looking back It would probably be more eco- to 33 years ago, I wouldn’t have nomically profitable to grow Pinot thought we would be so successful. Gris, Riesling, Pinot Blanc or Pinot What are your plans for the future? Noir – the common varieties that sell like hot cakes and do not need Well, there are plans to pursue the any explanation to consumers. If I 20% organic farming target, in viti- consider the higher economic ex- culture as well. I would say this is a penditures for consumer education positive prospect. and the increased marketing effort, BOOSTING ORGANIC SEED AND PLANT BREEDING ACROSS EUROPE

Duration: 4 years (2017 – 2021) Budget: 7.5m EUR Project coordinator: IFOAM OE from the European Union & Scientific coordinator: FiBL-CH 1.5m EUR from Switzerland

LIVESEED is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 under grant agreement No. 727230 and by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) under contract number 17.00090. The information provided reflects the views of the authors. The Research Executive Agency or SERI are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information www.liveseed.eu provided.