Fostering organic crop breeding

Promoting the use of more sustainable farming practices is an EU policy objective enshrined in the European Green Deal and its related strategies. Boosting organic farming in the EU, one of these objectives, can greatly contribute to achieving the ambition to significantly reduce the use and risk of inputs in farming while making agriculture more resilient, including through increased (bio)diversity. Increasing the availability of organic varieties for the organic sector that are better adapted to different and variable conditions is important in order to improve the performance of the organic crop sector. Application of the new organic Regulation[[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.L_.2018.150.01.0001.01.ENG]] (EU) No 2018/848 has the potential to support higher levels of biodiversity and greater resilience in the organic sector with the use of new tools such as the definition of organic heterogeneous material (OHM) and organic varieties. The possibility to use landraces can also revive traditional and regional crops. However, achieving adequate and timely upscaling of organic breeding and seed production that meet growing market demands can be challenging for the sector. Strong involvement from public and private actors, novel governance and financing models for breeding, variety testing and seed production, as well as training, are needed.

Proposals should contribute to improving the availability and quality of plant reproductive material and the selection of varieties suited to the specific conditions of organic farming, in line with the objectives and requirements for organic plant reproductive material set out in Regulation (EU) No 2018/848 and the transformation of the EU’s breeding sector. Proposals must implement the ‘multi-actor approach’ and ensure a value chain approach with adequate involvement of the farming sector. Activities should take into account the diversity of seed systems in the EU. The topic is open to all types of organic farming systems in various geographical and pedo-climatic conditions. In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

Proposals should develop measures to support the preservation of genetic resources and increase the availability of plant reproductive material for the organic sector, including through pre-breeding and breeding activities and new approaches to seed sourcing.

Proposals should develop measures that contribute to the development of organic heterogeneous material[[‘Organic heterogeneous material’ means a plant grouping within a single botanical taxon of the lowest known rank which: (a) presents common phenotypic characteristics; (b) is characterised by a high level of genetic and phenotypic diversity between individual reproductive units, so that that plant grouping is represented by the material as a whole, and not by a small number of units; (c) is not a variety within the meaning of Article 5(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 2100/94 (1); (d) is not a mixture of varieties; and (e) has been produced in accordance with this Regulation.]] and varieties suitable for organic cultivation for an increasing range of crops, including arable, forage and horticultural crops.

Proposals should develop specific protocols for testing new organic varieties. Measures should consider the adaptability of OHM and organic varieties to different climatic and edaphic conditions, and resistance to pests and diseases, as well as combining these assets with crop stability, productivity and nutritional content in order to maintain a level of competitiveness of the organic plant reproductive material. The potential of OHM to foster and improve the use of traditional material in organic crop farming should be analysed.

Proposals should develop a toolbox to identify OHM and a system to ensure OHM breeding traceability and maintenance. Case studies of innovative engagement of value chain partners in organic plant breeding in different contexts should be analysed and key factors of success should be identified. Proposals should develop governance and financial models to support organic plant breeding that include all actors in the value chain. Proposals should conceive marketing and value chain development strategies to introduce improved varieties for seed multiplication and treatment, ensuring quality and transparency in the organic seed market. Proposals should set up new networks, and expand existing ones where relevant, to demonstrate and test organic crop breeding in different pedo-climatic regions across Europe, with an emphasis on regions where the organic sector is less developed. Proposals will give attention to participatory on-farm demonstrations. Proposals should design training packages tailored to the specific needs of different actors of the organic breeding and seed business to strengthen their capacities and increase breeding gains.

Proposals should develop scientifically robust and transparent methodologies, building on achievements from previous research activities. To ensure trustworthiness, swift and wide adoption by user communities, and to support EU and national policy-makers, actions should adopt high standards of transparency and openness, going beyond ex-post documentation of results and extending to aspects such as assumptions, models and data quality during the life of projects.