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

Everywhere in the world, Limagrain's research programs are conducted in the strictest understanding and control, respecting regulations in force. Progress in science is transforming certain aspects in the profession of plant improvement, but the underlying aims are invariably the same: to identify parent plants, cross them and breed from their offspring the plant(s) which meet the objectives fixed.

The tools used for this breeding today have become much more technical, for example molecular marking which is a complement to the breeder's well-trusted eye. Using other tools such as transgenesis, it is possible to acquire new knowledge to understand how living organisms function, and in particular the links between a gene and its function. Research based on transgenesis can therefore result in conventional varieties with a better understanding of their nature, or indeed can result in transgenic varieties.

• The stakes for society: Enrich biodiversity and make progress accessible
• To share genetic resources so that agriculture can progress
• To protect plant breeding without confiscating genetic variability
• To disseminate knowledge in the field of plant improvement
• GMOs adopted by more than fifteen million farmers