Summary

The plant improvement, the need for maintenance of genetic resources, the necessity of intellectual property protection.

Feeding the planet
An increase in agricultural production is indispensable in order to avoid global famine in a world where the population is increasing constantly. In developed countries, the yields of the principal food crops have doubled during the last 30 years. It is acknowledged that half of this increase comes from improved varieties and the other half comes from a better use of fertilizers, machinery, better agro-chemical products, and improved techniques. The improvement of plants thus has an important role to play in the world's food security, protection of the environment, and biodiversity on the planet.

Supporting research
Most of the major advances in food production in developing countries have resulted directly from public international agricultural research which has permitted the development of new varieties and the use of new agricultural techniques. As public expenditure on agricultural research is globally shrinking, the private sector, particularly plant breeders, will have a more important role in the future. The creation of new varieties is very expensive. It is for this reason that the International convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) was created in 1961, and that the intellectual property rights of breeders were defined.

Developing a sustainable agriculture
Parallel to the ever increasing food needs of the world, the pressure to preserve the environment is increasing greatly. In particular, it is necessary to develop sustainable agriculture which is also very productive. The development of new, more productive varieties will reduce the need to cultivate crops in fragile zones.

Planting modern varieties
The idea that modern varieties do not yield well outside of an intensive agricultural system is a myth. Scientific studies have rather proven that in general, new improved varieties produce more than old varieties, even with limited crop input needs, such as rainfall and fertilizer. Farmers have the opportunity to make the choice between either modern or old seed varieties which they can produce by themselves on the farm. If they choose to plant modern varieties, they do so because the supplementary cost of using improved seed varieties is insignificant when compared to the benefit resulting from their use.

Maintaining the diversity of genetic resources
As more and more new varieties replace traditional varieties, breeders must be vigilant to maintain the diversity of genetic resources. A very large number of land races, old varieties, and related wild species have already been collected and maintained for their potential future benefits. In the frame of the FAO Global Plan of Action private plant breeders offer their collaboration with public institutions in the conservation of plant genetic resources.

Protecting breeders' rights
Countries where the protection of the rights of breeders prevents abuse of improved varieties have more breeders. More breeders means more varieties and therefore better genetic variability at the disposition of the user. The protection of breeders' rights equally favors competition among a large number of breeders, from small independent enterprises to large multi-national companies and state institutions. This is the best stimulant for progress, required for feeding the world and preserving the planet.