b'SINCE YOU ASKEDBY: NIELS LOUWAARSWHO IS DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY?S ince the Brundtland report, thefor our sector, the upcoming PRM (Plant word sustainability has not lostReproductive Materials) and NGT (Novel importance in society even thoughGenomic Techniques) regulations will it became a container that could be filledinclude measures to stimulate breed-with meaning at will. It is also a buzzworders to focus even more on sustainability in many company strategies. In the seedimproving traits. How the traits will be sector the primary weight is that wedetermined and how they need to be contribute to sustainable production andpresented remain important issues for value chains through our breeding anddiscussion.supply of healthy quality seeds. HigherIt sells to be ableThe third force after company yields, resistances to pests and diseasesresponsibility and regulations is the and tolerance to abiotic stresses, and alsoto say that you aremarket. Individual retailers already robustness in transport and storage, andgreener than thedemand increasingly detailed sustain-reducing food waste at the end of theability information about the products chainwe contribute.competitor. they sell. There are indeed labels that It feels good that we contribute inmay look like greenwashing, but criteria such important ways. However, possiblyget tougher and tougher because it sells because we do contribute so much, weto be able to say that you are greener are not forerunners in increasing sus- than the competitor, and this way they tainability in our operation. Sectors thatprepare value chains for the future. In are closer to consumers, and those inmany chains, these marketing systems, (petro-)chemical industries have beenwhether they are expressed or not as called upon earlier and more directly.Rainforest, Globalgap, Utz, organic or The fact that both environmentalother, provide a much more immediate and social sustainability are importantstimulus to adhere to sustainability rules is engrained in the European businesslightly. These are generic rules for com- than any regulation will do. However, culture, where shareholder value is morepanies in all sectors that will go waytheir impact on our part of the chains prominent in the Anglo-Saxon businessbeyond the current obligations of listedis in most cases limited. One may thus culture. Sustainability is thus an impor- companies. They will first apply to thosewonder whether governments are waging tant topic for any responsible managerwith more than 250 staff and over 40a rearguard action. However, the report-and company owner, who will work onmillion turnover, but their due diligenceing requirement may give ammunition to such issues by him/herself. But that isrequirement will heavily affect smallersuch private standards byin the worst apparently not enough.players in the value chains: supplierscase, blacklisting companies.The EU Commission is developingand possibly even users. Smaller breedersThrough the CSRD, we are entering the Corporate Sustainability Reportingmay thus be called upon by large traders,a new world where responsible behaviour Directive (CSRD), extensive rules meantprocessors or supermarket chains. Wewill in some cases be traded for calcu-to create transparency on a wide rangemay wonder whether this can be imple- latedtick the box behaviour. I am not of environmental and social sustaina- mented without substantially increasingsure whether this is the best way to go. bility parameters, and also includingadministrative costs and create interest-associated due diligence obligations.ing new markets for accountants, and asNiels Louwaars is the Managing This reporting will be part of the checkssuch reducing opportunities to invest inDirector at Plantum. This article does that accountants do on the performancesustainability measures.not necessarily reflect the views of all of companies, so it should not be takenIn addition, and more specificallyPlantum members.EUROPEAN-SEED.COMIEUROPEAN SEED I 27'