Commitment N° 4: To control and share progress in plant improvement

Preserving a culture of sharing means making a stand for the right balance between the protection of biotechnological inventions and the dissemination of knowledge.

On principle, Limagrain is against the protection of plant varieties by patent. Right from the start, Limagrain has supported the UPOV (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants), which was set up in 1961. The Proprietary Variety Protection Certificate (PVPC) allows the breeder to use protected varieties to create new ones. These new varieties can be sold freely on condition they are different enough from the original variety. Its motto: “Protecting without confiscating”.

• The stakes for society: Enrich biodiversity and make progress accessible
• To utilize biotechnology with a responsible vision
• To share genetic resources so that agriculture can progress
• To disseminate knowledge in the field of plant improvement
• GMOs adopted by more than fifteen million farmers