b'20MOST climate friendly companies over 2021Dear readers of European Seed diseases that normally thrive in warmer areas are moving north ,in Europe and are threatening harvest in these new regions. Climate change is a threat to many aspects of human life. WithoutWe need a continuous stream of new and better-adapted plant any mitigation, the planet will experience dangerous warming,varieties, otherwise there may not be a whole lot to harvest at the with yield-destroying droughts; rising sea levels that wash awayend of the season.islands and invading coastal areas; and most certainly theTo get a better picture of what European seed companies extinction of many species. And it is a well-accepted fact thatare doing to mitigate climate change, we asked all national seed world temperatures are rising because of human activity. associations in Europe, and many other peers in the European In sum, Climate Change is all around us.seed sector, to send us their nominations of companies that are For example, I see it in my garden. As a result of warmer-than- embodying that effort.normal spring temperatures, some of my fruit trees are floweringThe reactions were overwhelming. earlier. And of course, there is a later cold spell that, on occasion,It showed me that many companies are, in fact, already doing freezes all flowers on the tree and significantly reduces the fruit Ia lot. Not just through their new varieties but also in the fields of can harvest in fall. That makes me think that we should perhapsrenewable energy, recycling, and much more. breed for fruit tree varieties that wait a bit longer and flower a bitAs in previous years, you will again find a few lines of text per later, but thats a topic for a different article. company, explaining in a nutshell what their key contribution(s) In this issue of European Seed have been in the past and why they were chosen on this , we would like to put the spotlight on the European seed companies that are working hardprestigious list. Please note, most companies sent in much more and making great efforts to mitigate climate change.text on their activities than we could feature in this article. It For those who have been following the plant breedingshowed me that companies are well-aware of the threat and are sector, you know this group is already doing a lot to combat thistaking an active role in doing their part to reduce it.challenge with new plant varieties. The breeding companiesWe hope you enjoy the list, and as usual, we very much develop new plants with a higher tolerance to drought, heat, cold,welcome and look forward to any feedback you wish to share. salt, and other abiotic stresses caused by climate change. TheAnd for those who are not yet that active in climate change new resistances matter a lot in the face of a changing climate.mitigation, feel free to use the activities of these 20 companies as One result of climate change is pathogens appearing inan example. areas where they have never been seen before. Pests andMarcel Bruins EUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEAN SEED I 9'