Commitment N° 3: To reconcile economic development and preservation of the environment

Faced with the scarcity of arable land and growing needs, one serious avenue is to increase the productivity of available arable land. But this productivity must in no way be to the detriment of the environment. Limagrain studies the natural defense mechanisms of plants in order to protect them better against stressors and thus limit the use of plant care products and their presence in the soil.

The Group is also looking into other solutions such as transgenic crops. Limagrain supports the research work carried out by Biogemma on tolerance to drought. By introducing a sorghum1 gene identified as being able to resist hydric stress, into corn, Biogemma hopes in the medium-term to have a drought tolerant corn variety. Finally, Limagrain has launched research work on wheat with Arcadia on nitrogen use efficiency, a limited natural resource.

Limagrain encourages new practices with regard to irrigation. For agricultural production, an occasional lack of water at critical periods (flowering, grain or fruit filling) can ruin a harvest. Above all, when it is possible, irrigation is “harvest insurance”.

Considerable progress has been made on irrigation since this ancestral practice was first used. Furrow irrigation, which uses up a lot of water, has been replaced by sprinkling and, where necessary, by trickling systems.

More generally, the whole issue of water is becoming essential for agricultural production. The depletion of aquifers 2 is reducing the surface area of irrigated areas in several regions in the world. The Middle East is the first region in the world to see its cereal harvests affected by a recurrent lack of water. In our contribution to dealing with this challenge we have launched research programs to find a genetic solution to improve the efficient use of water, particularly for wheat and corn.

Limagrain encourages all initiatives taken by its subsidiaries to limit the impact of its activity on the environment. For example, Jacquet has adopted measures concerning the air. Every year the French industrial baker carries out controls on its ovens and boilers to check that they comply with CO2 emission levels.

Limagrain militates to ensure all aspect of production are at the heart of sustainable development. Indeed cultivated plants have the capacity to trap CO2 efficiently. Corn, for example, is an extraordinary absorber of sunrays which it transforms into biomass, providing it has enough water for its growth. A hectare of corn absorbs twenty to thirty tons of CO2 and supplies two to four times more oxygen than a hectare of forest.

In 2005 Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients proposed an innovation to participate in the reduction of our consumption of petroleum- based products: biolice, a 100% biodegradable and 100% compostable plastic material. It also valorizes the agricultural production of the Co-operative members. biolice is manufactured from whole cereal grains. There are several possible applications: farm mulching, plastic bags with handles, bin bags, bags for garden waste, etc.

www.biolice.com