Abstract
This chapter aims to study the current balance between the offer and demand of the organic seed sector and how the breeding system can be adapted to the diversity of needs.
The offer is assessed by the evolution, over time, of the number and types of species and varieties registered in the French and European catalogues. This number has greatly increased, but some species remain or become orphans. There is an increasing number of varieties listed for the major crops, whereas the choice concerning organic seed varieties is severely limited. Moreover, the standardised varieties listed in the catalogue are currently in dispute because of the new diversification of cropping systems, outlets and social organisation. Do we need to change ideotypes, breeding methods, breeding criteria and evaluating methods? In other words, do we need to reform the seed system or to adapt it to this new diversity?
The diversity of organic seed variety requirements is represented by four models: Label, Brand, Autonomy and Empowerment. Each model requires a specific breeding scheme and relevant breeding actors. These different ways to look at new varieties and plant breeding must not exclude each other but must be considered as complementary and capable of renewing ways to implement plant improvements for agriculture. In such a context, there is a need for new references to evaluate and register varieties (new criteria, new protocols, changes in legislation, etc.).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Almekinders C, Hardon J (eds) (2006) Bringing farmers back into breeding. Experiences with participatory plant breeding and challenges for institutionalisation. Agromisa Special 5. Agromisa, Wageningen, p 125
Anvar L (2008) Semences et droit—L’emprise d’un modèle économique dominant sur une réglementation sectorielle—Thèse pour le doctorat en droit, Université Paris I, p 470
Baldwin KR (2006) Crop Rotations on Organic Farms- Published by North Carolina cooperative extension service
Bardsley D. (2003) Risk alleviation via in situ agrobiodiversity conservation: drawing from experiences in Switzerland, Turkey and Nepal. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 99:149-157
Bonneuil C, Thomas F (2009) Gènes, pouvoirs et profits- Recherche publique et régimes de production des savoirs de Mendel aux OGM- 619 pp- Editions Quae
Bonneuil C, Thomas F (2013) Semences: une histoire politique. ed. Charles Leopold Meyer. ISBN 978-2-84377-165-1, pp 213
Cecarelli S, Grando S, Bailey E, Amri A, El Felah M, Nassif F, Rezgui S, Yahyaoui A (2001) Farmer participation in Barley breednig in Syria, Marocco and Tunisia. Euphytica 122:521–536
Desclaux D, Hedont M (eds) (2006) Proceedings of ECO-PB Workshop: “Participatory plant breeding: relevance for organic agriculture?” Ed; ITAB, p 112
Desclaux D, Nolot JM, Chiffoleau Y, Gozé E, Leclerc C (2008) Changes in the concept of genotype × environment interactions to fit agriculture diversification and decentralized participatory plant breeding: pluridisciplinary point of view. Euphytica 163:533–546
Desclaux D, Nolot JM, Triboulet P, Lorentz B, Chiffoleau Y (2010) A necessary complementarity of actors for variety innovation. ISDA
Döring TF, Bocci R, Hitchings R, Howlett S, Lammerts van Bueren ET, Pautasso M, Raaijmakers M, Rey F, Stubsgaard A, Weinhappel M (2012) The organic seed regulations framework in Europe—current status and recommendations for future development; Organic Agriculture December 2(3–4):173–183
EU catalogue (2013) http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/propagation/catalogues/database/public/index.cfm?event=SearchForm & cat=A
EU proposal (2013) Proposal for a regulation of the european parliament and of the council “On the production and making available on the market of plant reproductive material (plant reproductive material law)” Brussels, 6.5.2013COM (2013) 262 final 2013/0137 (COD)
Fontaine L, Rolland B et al (2008) Contribution to organic breeding programmes of wheat variety testing in organic farming in France. In: Cultivating the future based on science. Volume 1: Organic Crop Production. Proceedings of the Second Scientific Conference of the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research in Modena, Italy, 18–20 June 2008
Fontaine L, Rolland B et al (2010) Value for cultivation and use testing under organic conditions: experience in winter wheat in France. Conference poster. In Breeding for resilience: a strategy for organic and low-input farming systems? EUCARPIA 2nd Conference of the Organic and Low-Input Agriculture Section, France, p 1–3
Gallais A (2006) Preface. In: Lançon J, Floquet A, Weltzien E (eds) Partenaires pour construire des projets de sélection participative. Ed CIRAD, p 207
Goffaux R, Goldringer I, Bonneuil C, Montalent P, Bonnin I (2011) Quels indicateurs pour suivre la diversité génétique des plantes cultivées? Le cas du blé tendre cultivé en France depuis un siècle. Rapport FRB, Série Expertise et synthèse, p 44
Goldringer I, Galic N, Rousselle Y, Demeulenaere E, Bonneuil C, Payement J, Berthellot JF, Chesneau V, Mercier F, Ferté H, Pommart A, Zaharia H (2007) On-farm dynamic management of wheat populations/varieties in organic agriculture: a way to valorize GxE interactions. In: Proc. of Eucarpia symposium.7–9 nov. Wageningen
Kastler G (2006) Les semences paysannes. Les Dossiers de l’environnement de l’INRA, Quelles variétés et semences pour des agricultures paysannes et durables? 30:53–56
Lammerts van Bueren ET, StruiK PC, Tiemens-Hulscher M, Jacobsen E (2003) The concept of intrinsic value and integrity of plants in organic plant breeding and propagation. Crop Sci 43:1922–1929
Löschenberger F, Fleck A, Grausgruber H, Hetzendorfer H, Hof G, Lafferty J, Marn M, Neumayer A, Pfaffinger G, Birschitzky J (2008) Breeding for organic agriculture: the example of winter wheat in Austria, Euphytica 163:469–480
Ministry of Agriculture (2011) Rapport de synthèse- année 2011, France. Fonctionnement de la base de données sur les variétés disponibles en semences issues du mode de production biologique Synthèse annuelle des dérogations accordées http://www.semences-biologiques.org/pages/Rapport-semences-bio-2011-final.pdf
Pope de Vallavieille C, Belhaj Fraj M, Mille B, Meynard JM (2007) Associations de variétés de blé pour stabiliser le rendement et la qualité de la récolte. In Rencontres du Cirad- Journée d’agronomie- 30 août 2007. ed CIRAD
Rolland B (2006) Les Dossiers de l’environnement de l’INRA. Quelles variétés et semences pour des agricultures paysannes et durables? 30:53–56
Sperling L, Ashby JA, Smith ME, Weltzien E, McGuire S (2001) A framework for analyzing participatory plant breeding approaches and results. Euphytica 122:439–450
Sylvander B, Bellon S, Benoit M (2006) Facing the organic reality: the diversity of development models and their consequences on research policies. Paper presented at Joint Organic Congress, Odense, pp 30–31
Witcombe JR, Joshi A, Goyal SN (2003) Participatory plant breeding in maize: a case from Gujurat, India. Euphytica 130:413–422
Wolfe MS (1997) Variety mixtures: concept and value. In: Wolfe MS (ed) Variety mixtures in theory and practice. European Union Variety and Species Mixtures working group of COST Action 817. Online at: http://www.scri.sari.ac.uk/TiPP/Mix/Booklet/default.htm
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Desclaux, D., Nolot, JM. (2014). Does the Seed Sector Offer Meet the Needs of Organic Cropping Diversity? Challenges for Organic Crop Varieties. In: Bellon, S., Penvern, S. (eds) Organic Farming, Prototype for Sustainable Agricultures. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7927-3_20
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7927-3_20
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-7926-6
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-7927-3
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)