New opportunities for fair, open-pollinated varieties!

Eosta has initiated the project ‘Opportunities for open-pollinated varieties' in cooperation with the Louis Bolk Institute. In 2015, researchers of the Louis Bolk Institute searched all over the world for potentially interesting open-pollinated varieties. Eosta has created an initial selection of seven varieties that might be suitable for Eosta’s range of products. In 2016-2017, these varieties will be further investigated and criteria such as flavour and appearance will be dealt with.

Gert Kögeler, Eosta Commercial Director, comments: ‘Over the next years, we will market the first tomatoes and bell peppers based on open-pollinated varieties, to give off a signal. In 2015, the European Patent Office officially allowed patents on fruit and vegetable traits, but the European Parliament declared itself openly and strongly against this. Eosta is also strongly opposed because access to biological material and natural products is required for future food security and biodiversity."

As a chain party, Eosta is taking a stand against these patents, supporting free breeding in line with the values of organic agriculture. Plant qualities that are found in nature and form the basis of healthy nutrition, should be freely available for plant breeding. Seed companies have sufficient protection through plant breeders’ rights.

Brochure
For more information about the project, you may download the PDF brochure below:

• Brochure "Fair seed as a basis for organic products"

FAQ
To know more about plant breeding and organic plant breeding, click to read/download PDF:

1. What is plant breeding?
2. Is breeding necessary for organic farming?
3. What is the purpose of organic breeding?
4. What is the difference between pure varieties and hybrid varieties?
5. Why does the organic sector not want ‘CMS hybrid varieties’?
6. What are pure varieties and do they stand a chance?
7. What is the situation as regards property rights for plants or varieties?
8. Why is organic farming opposed to genetic modification?
9. What type of breeding fits in with organic farming?
10. Why are new socio-economic models required in breeding?