LiveSeed
Improve performance of organic agriculture by boosting organic seed and plant breeding efforts across Europe
Topic: SFS-07-2016-2017
Project Nº 727230. Horizon 2020 – Research and Innovation action
PARCERIA:
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE MOVEMENTS EU REGIONAL GROUP IFOAM EU SWEDEN
RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE FIBL SWITZERLAND FIBL-CH SWITZERLAND (CH)
AEGILOPS – NETWORK FOR BIODIVERSITY AND ECOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE AEG GREECE (EL)
AUSTRIAN AGENCY FOR HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY AGES AUSTRIA (AT)
AGROLOGICA AGROL DENMARK (DK)
AGROSCOPE AGROS SWITZERLAND (CH)
INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES AND ECONOMICS AREI LATVIA (LV)
BINGENHEIMER SAATGUT AG BSG GERMANY (DE)
BIONEXT NETHERLANDS (NL)
FOUNDATION FOR ORGANIC AGRICULTURE BIOSELENA BIOSE BULGARIA (BG)
ASSOCIATION OF ORGANIC PROCESSORS, WHOLESALERS AND RETAILERS BNN GERMANY (DE)
COUNCIL FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY ANALYSIS CREA ITALY (IT)
WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY AND RESEARCH CENTRE DLO NETHERLANDS (NL)
FELDSAATEN FREUDENBERGER GMBH FSF GERMANY (DE)
RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE FIBL GERMANY E.V. FIBL-DE GERMANY (DE)
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRONOMIC RESEARCH INRA FRANCE (FR)
POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE OF COIMBRA IPC PORTUGAL (PT)
TECHNICAL INSTITUTE OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE ITAB FRANCE (FR)
INSTITUTE OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT CULTIVATION IUNG POLAND (PL)
LIVING SEEDS SEMENTES VIVAS SA LSSV PORTUGAL (PT)
LOUIS BOLK INSTITUTE LBI NETHERLANDS (NL)
CENTRE FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, HUNGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES MTA HUNGARY (HU)
HUNGARIAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE ÖMKI HUNGARY (HU)
ORGANIC RESEARCH CENTRE ORC UNITED KINGDOM (UK)
RETE SEMI RURALI RSR ITALY (IT)
SATIVA RHEINAU AG SATIVA SWITZERLAND (CH)
SPANISH ORGANIZATION OF ORGANIC FARMING SEAE SPAIN (ES)
SEGES P/S SEGES DENMARK (DK)
NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE NARDI ROMANIA (RO)
UNION BIO SEEDS UBIOS FRANCE (FR)
UNIVERSITY OF EVORA UEV PORTUGAL (PR)
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF MARCHE UNIVPM ITALY (IT)
UNIVERSITY OF KASSEL GERMANY (DE)
VITALIS ORGANIC SEEDS VITALIS NETHERLANDS (NL)
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF VALENCIA UPV SPAIN (ES)
INVESTIGADOR RESPONSÁVEL IPC:
PEDRO MENDES MOREIRA (ESAC)
FINANCIAMENTO:
Investimento Global: 8.997.295,20 €
Apoio da União Europeia: Incentivo Não Reembolsável: 7.454.838,00 €
Investimento elegível IPC: 145.850,00 €
DESCRIÇÃO SUMÁRIA:
LIVESEED aims to improve the performance and competitiveness of the organic sector by boosting organic seed and plant breeding efforts. To increase the availability and choice of organic seed, it will (i) harmonize the implementation of legislative requirements and develop an EU-wide router database tool for seed suppliers, (ii) develop improved cultivar testing systems, organic seed health and quality strategies, best practices for organic seed multiplication, and new variety testing protocols for the registration of cultivars for the organic sector, (iii) develop novel breeding concepts, selection tools, and genetic resources, (iv) explore plant-microbe interactions, (v) initiate new breeding networks to close major gaps for legumes, cereals, vegetables, fruit trees and fodder crops, (vi) identify bottlenecks in the organic seed market, (vii) develop business and governance models for breeding and seed production, (viii) engage stakeholder groups for knowledge exchange, practical training, and capacity building, and (ix) provide recommendations based on synthesis of LIVESEED outcomes. The innovative multi-actor and -action research approach (‘learning by doing’) of LIVESEED ensures a broad and fast implementation of the project outputs across Europe. The LIVESEED consortium represents a multidisciplinary European partnership involving 48 organisations (35 partners + 13 third linked parties) and more than 30 stakeholders from 16 EU countries and Switzerland, including researchers, breeders, seed producers, organic associations and retailers. Combining scientific and practical knowledge will enable the consortium to generate innovative solutions adapted to the needs of end-users for different pedo-climatic and socio-economic contexts. The main outcome will be an improved breeding efficiency and a greater choice and uptake of organic seed derived from resilient cultivars to optimize organic and low-input agriculture and strengthen sustainable food production in Europe.