52  I  SEED WORLD EUROPE  I  SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPE | OCTOBER 2026
W
hat will shape plant breeding 
and the seed sector over the next 
two decades? Seed Sector 2045 
begins with a simple idea: the future will 
not be defined by one trend alone. Climate 
change, gene editing, AI, regulation, 
public trust, IP, trade, farmers, consumers 
and new business models are all moving 
at once. Seed World Europe is publishing a 
20-part online series built around a subway 
concept, with each “station” representing 
a force shaping the road to 2045. This is 
a brief preview of the series. Scan the QR 
code to start the journey.
SEED SECTOR 2045: 
THE MAP OF WHAT COMES NEXT
BY: MARCEL BRUINS
CLIMATE IS NO LONGER A 
FUTURE PROBLEM
Climate adaptation has become the new 
baseline for plant breeding. Drought, heat, 
flooding, shifting pest pressure and chang­
ing disease patterns are already reshaping 
what farmers need from varieties. This 
article explores why breeding can no longer 
focus only on yield under favourable con­
ditions but must increasingly deliver stable 
performance under instability. It looks at 
resilience traits, root systems, water-use 
efficiency, genomic prediction, phenotyping 
Strategy & Future Outlook
Market & Value Chain Dynamics
Technology & Competitive Capability
Sector & Legal Structure
System & Environmental Drivers
Biologicals
Big Data 
AI
AI
Gene Editing
EDV Concept
Intellectual Property
Seed Sector Structure
Competitive Breeding 
Environment
Carbon Reduction
Social Licence
Low-Input & Biodiversity
Regenerative Agriculture 
Climate Adaptation 
Next Breeding 
Revolution
Digital Business Models 
Geopolitical Fragmentation
Farmer of 2045
Consumer-Driven Breeding
Skills & Competencies 
COLOUR KEY TO LINES
SEED SECTOR 
2045

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