In an updated position paper, Euroseeds highlights the strategic importance of plant breeding research for sustainable agriculture and a competitive European bioeconomy and biotechnology sector and calls on the EU to secure dedicated funding for plant breeding under FP10 and the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF).
Europe’s plant breeding and seed sector is among the most research-intensive in the agri-food value chain, with Euroseeds’ members reinvesting up to 20% of annual turnover into research and development. Continuous innovation in plant breeding is essential to deliver high-quality yields while addressing climate change, resource constraints and increasing plant health challenges.
Despite its central role, public funding for plant breeding research has not kept pace with overall EU research budgets, with funding under key instruments such as the FP, the ERC and MSCA declining. This trend risks weakening the innovation base at the start of the agricultural value chain.
As the voice of Europe’s plant breeding and seed sector, Euroseeds calls for FP10 and ECF to include a strong, dedicated research budget for plant breeding, supported by partnerships and mechanisms that ensure effective deployment along the innovation chain, from genetic resources and plant science to breeder uptake and consequent value chain impact.
Sustained investment in plant breeding research is essential to support food security, biodiversity, public health and Europe’s food and strategic sovereignty, while enabling farmers to produce more and better biomass within planetary boundaries.
