b'HOW INNOVATION ISCULTIVATING A GREENER FUTURE FOR AGRICULTURETHE SEED SECTOR IS SOWING THE FOUNDATIONS OF A MORE SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEMAND ISFS PAPERS SHOW HOW IT CAN HELP BALANCE TRADE, PRODUCTIVITY AND PLANETARY HEALTH.BY: MARCEL BRUINW hen we talk about sustainability in agriculture, the conversation often gravitates toward what happens in the field: fertilizers, water use, soil management, and emissions. Yet, as Ben Rivoire and Khaoula Belhaj-Fragnire of the International Seed Federation (ISF) remind us, the journey toward a greener, more resilient food system begins long before a single plant emerges from the soil. It starts all with seed.The seed is where sustainability truly begins, says Rivoire. That starting point is also where measurable gains are built in over time. Every improved variety carries within it the potential to use resources more efficiently, to withstand climate pressures, and to help farmers produce more withBen Rivoire is the sustainability and crop valueKhaoula Belhaj-Fragnire is the regulatory less environmental impact. notes Belhaj- chain manager at the International Seedaffairs manager at the International Seed Fragnire Federation. Federation. That conviction is at the heart of recent ISF papers: Contributions of the Seed Sectortreatments, we can enhance resilience atBetter-adapted crops mean more stable to Improve the Environmental Sustainabilitythe most fundamental level of production,harvests, lower input needs, and ultimately, of Agriculture and Food Systems (July 2025),explains Rivoire. more sustainable farming systems.Navigating the Evolution of Plant BreedingFor example, maize treated with ben-Innovation (March 2024) and A Calleficial Bacillus bacteria has shown remark- YIELD, EFFICIENCY, AND for Policy Action to Foster Plant Breedingable productivity gains on infertile soils,ENVIRONMENTAL GAINSInnovation (November 2024). while soybean and rice varieties inoculatedProductivity and sustainability are often The documents underscore how thewith similar microbes have shown improvedportrayed as opposing goals, but the seed global seed industry leverages innovationnutrient efficiency.sector is demonstrating that the two can to help agriculture reduce its environmentalSimilarly,plantbreedershavego hand in hand. According to ISF, yield footprint while maintaining productivity.enhanced sorghum forage quality by intro- increase and yield stability are among the They also provide a roadmap for the nextducing chemically induced mutationsmost powerful levers for environmental phase of sustainable transformation of ourthat reduce lignin production since theprogress.food systems. late 1970s. These brown midrib (BMR)When farmers can produce more on hybrids make sorghum more digestible forthe same land, the need to convert forests INNOVATION AT THE ROOT OFruminants, boosting feed value compared toand natural habitats into farmland dimin-PROGRESS non-BMR varieties says Belhaj-Fragnire. ishes. Higher yields per hectare mean Seed innovation is not new, but its role inSuch innovations enable farmers toreduced land use, which translates directly environmental sustainability is being rec- achieve higher yields with fewer inputs,into biodiversity preservation and lower ognized as never before. Every new varietyreducing both environmental pressurecarbon emissions.released to the market represents years ofand production costs. And the benefits goWithout the advancements made by research, testing, and refinement, combin- beyond the farm gate. Improved vegetablemodern plant breeding, agriculture would ing conventional breeding and cutting-edgevarieties with extended shelf life can sig- need to occupy a far larger footprint to meet technologies. nificantly reduce postharvest losses, oneglobal food demand, Rivoire points out. From drought-tolerant cereals toof the most overlooked sources of green- Thanks to improved varieties and quality pest-resistant vegetables and forage cropshouse gas emissions in the food chain.seeds, weve been able to avoid additional that reduce methane emissions from live- Meanwhile, perennial crops contribute todeforestation and protect natural ecosys-stock, these innovations are helping farm- carbon sequestration thanks to their deeptems.ers adapt to a rapidly changing climate.root systems and longer growing cycles. The data support this. In Europe, Through high-performing germplasm,Every new generation of seed technol- improved seed varieties have boosted yields seed-applied technologies, and microbialogy offers a multiplier effect, says Rivoire.in key arable crops by 20% over the past 15 34ISEED WORLD EUROPEISEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | FEBRUARY 2026'