Plantum its members and the latest breeding methods
Plantum, its members and the latest breeding methods. TSUAB 15. 12. 2019 Niels Louwaars
Mission Plantum We create on behalf of and with the members the best possible (inter)national business environment for the sector breeding, propagation and production of seeds and young plants.
Dutch sector Ø 300 companies Success factors: - 200 years of entrepreneurship - Knowledge infrastructure - Effective policy institutions - Phytosanitary controls - Quality control - Breeder’s Rights
a very relevant sector! Economic Societal values • Globally active • Export value 3, 1 billion euro • 12. 000 jobs in NL • R&D avarage of 15% turnover • Applications EU plant breeders’ rights 30% from the Netherlands • Sustainable production • Climate change • Health and well-being • Urbanisation • ‘Greening’ industries • Sustainable Development Goals all over the world
Seeds: basis for the green economy • Plantum focuses on key criteria • Innovation climate • Market access: Phyto/seed legislation • Sustainability: Crop protection, Social Responsibility, employment conditions • Visibility of the sector: in support of policy work and also job market/education
Innovation • Public-private research collaboration • Effective intellectual property rights • Access to genetic resources (Nagoya / Int’l Treaty) • Use of new technologies
Genetic Modification • Technically complex and expensive • Legal issues very expensive o Safety for man and environment dossiers – estimated at 100 million US$ o Patent licenses needed • Result: only global crops and globally operating companies!
Gene editing – three applications • Cut and let the cell repair = mutation • Cut and replace a basepair = mutation • Cut and put a functional gene in = like transgenesis, but targeted
Gen editing - opportunities • Targeted changes ! We know better what we do • ‘silence a gene’ – study gene function or create a new allele (new version of the same resistance) • Speed up breeding: ‘improve’ a specific trait in an otherwise good variety
Large and small companies • Gene editing is technically cheap, but: o Need genomic knowege about the crop o Need some laboratory equipment and expertise • So, larger companies have an advantage • Smaller companies need to be strategic
Strategic options 1. Develop a research company together: Examples: Keygene, Genetwister 2. Join forces with colleages/competitors on a project basis o Public-private partnerships o Strategic reseach projects among selected companies 3. Use a service provider to help plan: example Hundson River Biotechnologies
Preparing for the future – there are optons !!! • Thank you for your attention Niels Louwaars
Organogram General meeting General Board Secretariat Plantum Thematic committees Department Field crops Department Ornamentals Department Vegetable seeds Department Vegetable plants
Plantum as association
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