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Gilles Robillard, President of Terres Inovia, took part in the "Seed, the first link in food sovereignty" debate at the Salon International de l'Agriculture on Tuesday February 24, along with other experts. Here's a look at what they had to say.
Gilles Robillard, President of Terres Inovia: "A collective dynamic and more R&D resources to go faster".
" Research efforts to improve varieties are at the heart of Terres Inovia's strategic priorities. Indeed, climatic issues are having an ever-increasing impact on farms, with the intensification of water and heat stress and the evolution of pests ".
" In addition to bio-solutions and agronomic practices to reinforce plant robustness, innovation in seeds is essential to help farmers better resist diseases and pests. In the context of the changes the agricultural world is going through, varietal innovation takes time: we need access to R&D resources to go faster and, above all, we need to commit to this dynamic collectively, otherwise the battle will be lost ".
" In France, we are fortunate to have a well-developed research and advisory network. Farmers need to make it their own, but this comes at a cost. There can be a gap between the innovations available and the financial capacity of farmers to implement them .
François Desprez, Vice-President of SEMAE: "New tools and skills".
" In France, innovation by seed companies has been very dynamic for a long time: on average, 13% of sales are invested in R&D, a figure that has increased in recent years, as we now have new tools and skills, such as the use of regenerative artificial intelligence or NGTs, but these innovations require additional resources ".
Marie-Cécile Damane, Agridées representative: "Variety renewal is rapid and stable".
" Innovation is a very important marker in a changing economic and conjunctural context, particularly with the significant fluctuation in raw material prices. The rate of R&D renewal in seed companies is rapid and stable, for example, three years for the top ten rapeseed varieties. The fragility of the system lies in the financing of innovation. For example, the research tax credit is a real lever, without which seed companies would find it difficult to conduct their research activities ".
David Guy, Director of Sky Agriculture: "Concrete innovations for seeding".
" France has a fine image when it comes to seeds and varieties, and innovation is enabling us to pursue this necessary evolution, through companion plants, for example, which can be integrated directly into the sowing process. There ' s progress to be made to ensure that all new seeds are able to use less nitrogen fertilizer ".