b'Aiming for the 25 Per CentHOW VEGETABLE BREEDERS ARE HANDLING ORGANICS. BY: MARCEL BRUINSA ccording to the most recent data, organic farming covered almost 13.8 million hectares of agricul-tural land in the EU-27 in 2019 (= 8.5 per cent of the total utilised agricultural area), an increase of 0.5 percentage points from 2018. The increase in organic area between 2012 and 2019 was 46 per cent. The EU Green Deal and its Farm to Fork Strategy, aim that by 2030, 25 per cent of agricultural land is under organic farm-ing, a whopping and seemingly impossible increase. To find out how vegetable seed companies are dealing with this ambi-tious target, European Seed consulted with experts from several vegetable breeding companies. We sat down with Anne Williams, Global Head of Protected Culture for Bayer Vegetable Seeds; Heleen Bos, Specialist Marketing Organics at Rijk Zwaan; Bram Weijland, Organic program coordinator at Bejo Zaden; Paul Degreef, Head of Business Unit KWS Vegetables B.V., Marcel van Diemen, plant breeder at Vitalis Biologische Zaden BV and Pauline Fargier-Puech, Group Marketing Manager at Gautier Semences.Heleen Bos (right) reviewing organic lettuce trials. Source Rijk ZwaanORGANIC ACTIVITIESBy selecting the best suited varieties for organic at the earliest stage possible fromThrough its conventional breeding Bejo Zadens conventional breeding pro- DID YOU KNOW. work, Gautier offers varieties which con-gram, the company combines the broadCountries with the highesttribute to the reduction of chemical use. basis of selection that their program offersshares of organic land: Austria,All their varieties are evaluated in organic with the specific requirements for theirEstonia and Sweden. In eachfarms to select the most sustainable to organic growers. This is what we haveof these countries the organicthis production system. In accordance named: breeding for organic as an addi- share was above 20 % of thewith organic farming regulations, Gautier tion to the existing organic breedingtotal agricultural land. Semences varieties are non-GMO. The standards, says Weijland. company proposes more than 70 organic For more than 20 years, organicAround 2 % of the agriculturalvarieties in a wide range of species as has been at the heart of the Researchholdings in the EU-27 were fullytomato, lettuce, squash, pumpkin, melon, and Development programs of Gautierorganic (i.e. had only organiceggplant, leek, and French bean. Our Semences, which, as a long-standingagricultural land) in 2016,offer is one of the most diversified on the partner of farmers, supports the organicfarming 4.2 % of the total utilisedmarket. And we are proud of our heritage, growing sector.agricultural area (UAA). so we ensure a conservative selection in We have made the choice, for moreOrganic farm managers tendseveral species for local varieties, adds than 20 years, to bring our history andto be younger. The share ofFargier-Puech.our know-how to the organic farmers. Infarm managers under 40 yearsRijk Zwaan offers conventional and 1998, we obtained ECOCERT certificationof age was twice as large fororganic seeds. Our breeding process for the entire seed production process,organic farms (21 %) as for is conventional. In an early stage in the sorting, storage, and packaging, saysnon-organic farms (10.5 %). breeding phase, we select varieties for Fargier-Puech. organic, by doing trials at organic farms/24IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'