European Seed Association (ESA)
Plant breeding is the science of adapting the genetics of plants for the benefit of humankind. Over the past 100 years, the world population has grown exponentially from 1.75 to today 7.2 billion, creating an ever-increasing demand for plant based raw materials for food and feed as well as industrial uses. Plant Breeding Innovation together with a growing mechanization, professional use of fertilisers and crop protection and other innovations has allowed for a stunning growth of agricultural production that has increased global food security, spared wild habitats from being cleared for food production, and that contributes to social stability and societal development. Explore the voluntary benefit-sharing activities the seed sector is engaged in and discover interesting projects across the world.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations
- Business Type:
- Professional association
- Industry Type:
- Agriculture
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
About Us
Yet, while achievements are impressive, in the light of continued rapid population growth and growing worldwide demand for a varied, high quality food supply, further progress in plant breeding innovation has unprecedented importance.
The History of Plant Breeding Innovation
Plant domestication started some 10,000 years ago by farmers selecting the best performing plants in a field. It was not until the discovery of Mendel’s laws of heredity in the nineteenth century turned the first plant breeding efforts from an art into science, and specialised farmer-breeders emerged, building a business concept on their efforts. From that point in time, scientific breakthroughs in agricultural and biological sciences have accelerated. With an increased understanding of plant biology and plant genes, plant breeders have constantly improved their breeding tools to include a wide variety of breeding methods. The development of newer plant breeding methods did not lead to a complete replacement of the older ones. Depending on the problems plant breeders must solve, they must be able to choose the tools that enable them to reach their breeding goals in the most efficient and specific way.
Conventional plant breeding methods, transgenesis or newer plant breeding methods are all essential components of the plant breeders’ toolbox. Building on the mechanisms created by nature, the latest innovations in plant breeding methods simply achieve the relevant breeding results in less time and with greater precision.
The efficient and targeted development of improved plant varieties is important to fight new plant pests, insects or diseases. These can be devastating to crops and lead to huge pre-harvest losses.
Other plant varieties provide quality improvements, such as better taste (e.g. in fruits and vegetables), processing advantages or nutritional enhancements, such as desirable proteins or lower saturated fats.
With that, plant breeding innovation contributes to providing sufficient and healthy food supply from plant varieties with improved characteristics.
Who We Are
ESA European Seed Association is the voice of the European seed industry, representing the interests of those active in research, breeding, production and marketing of seeds of agricultural, horticultural and ornamental plant species.
Today, ESA has more than 35 national member associations, from EU Members States and beyond, representing several thousand seed businesses, as well as more than 70 direct company members, including from seed related industries.
Mission
ESA’s mission is to engage on behalf of its members with all relevant European decision makers in order to represent their interests and to contribute to a
- fair and proportionate regulation of the European seed sector
- freedom of choice for customers (farmers, growers, industry, consumers) in supplying seeds as a result of innovative, diverse technologies and production methods
- effective protection of intellectual property rights relating to plants and seeds.
History
ESA was founded in November 2000, bringing together four former European seed associations and individual seed companies into one single Europe-wide organisation representing the totality of the European seed sector.
Already in 1961, COSEMCO (Seed Trade), in 1964 ASSOPOMAC (Potato Breeders), in 1970 AMUFOC (Forage Seed Production) and in 1977 COMASSO (Plant Breeders) were founded, with each association representing important parts of the plant breeding, seed production and marketing chain. In 1998, these associations established a first joint organisational structure as a platform for common activities before fully merging into ESA in 2000.
By Royal Decree of 2nd April 2002 ESA has been granted the legal status of non-profit International Association (AISBL) following Belgian Law.