At Limagrain, we believe that seeds are at the heart of agriculture and are committed to bringing innovation to farmers through genetic improvements to our seeds. As a plant breeder with a strong interest in how genetics help plants overcome challenges, this focus perfectly aligns with my own vision for how I can best contribute to the industry.
Most companies look at agriculture as a whole, addressing multiple elements that can contribute to farmers’ yields. These can include seed improvements, but also crop protection, seed treatments, digital technologies and many other components.
As a pure seed specialist, Limagrain Field Seeds doesn’t sell chemicals or digital packages, and we don’t package our seeds with other services. We focus on what we do best: plant breeding and improving seed genetics. Farmers are free to plant our seeds while also choosing the other components they need for successful crops from chemical companies. Limagrain’s plant breeders spend years with their varieties before they are commercialized and therefore have a unique understanding of their behaviors and preferences. We then use this intimate knowledge of our varieties to guide and advise farmers on how to get the very best out of them in their own situations, and this adds a lot of value for farmers.
Throughout my 30-year career, I’ve managed research activities — from biotech to plant breeding — for a variety of field seed crops and I’m passionate about how our research efforts create value for farmers. As global head of research for Limagrain Field Seeds, I manage a team of over 1,000 scientists working on multiple crops at 60 research stations on six continents.
If you want to be competitive in this business, your infrastructure, mission and vision must be global. Crops like wheat, maize, barley or sunflower are not limited by geography. The germplasm can move easily along the same latitudes around the globe. That’s why we reinvest a significant percentage of our turnover in research and have established a presence in most agriculturally important countries. We are selective about the crops we improve to ensure that our seeds have value across a broad range of countries.
I also lead the sustainability strategy for Limagrain Field Seeds. For me, agriculture is truly sustainable when it allows farmers to successfully grow crops in an ever-changing climate while at the same time respecting the environment.
There is no question the challenges farmers face due to climate change are complicated due to drought, diseases and more. Plant breeding carries with it the huge potential to deliver sustainable solutions and yield stability in increasingly complex environments.
Limagrain is a cooperative and we get a significant amount of direction from our farmers, whose agricultural practices are being impacted by a changing climate.
Their guidance allows us to continually challenge and refocus research targets for crops grown in France and around the world. Every technology that can deliver on this mission is a priority for us.
Humans have been breeding plants since the beginning of agriculture, saving seeds from their best plants to grow the following year’s crop. The pace at which we improve crops has accelerated in recent decades. These days, plant breeding is a fast-evolving field that requires many different technologies, and we invest heavily in the development of those that help plant breeders access new diversity and do their work quicker and more efficiently. Many of those advanced breeding technologies are crop independent, so once they’re developed in one crop, we’re in an excellent position to implement them in the next one, accelerating speed to market.
Ultimately, farmers buy seeds, not technologies. So, the success of any technology we implement is measured by how much value our seeds bring to the people who grow them.
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