SEEDS STUDY

29 / 40

Concentration of market power
in the EU seed market
29
For instance, a study published in 2011 by the Fondation pour la biodiversité, shows how “a very
strong genetic homogenisation of common wheat in France (…) occurred principally as a result of
the decrease in genetic diversity within the varieties cultivated from 1912 to 1964. Landraces84,
genetically very diverse, have been progressively replaced by “old lines”, far more genetically
homogeneous, which were themselves replaced by genetically pure varieties. Since 1964, these
“modern pure lines” have become the only varieties that can be sold commercially and are the
only ones cultivated. This homogenisation raises the issue of the sensitivity of wheat crops with
respect to current and future environmental changes (pathogens, drought, sustainable agricultural
practices...)”.85 France has been a major wheat growing country for centuries, while other crops
such as maize only appeared relatively recently on a large scale in France. At world scale, the
FAO estimates that “since the beginning of this century, about 75% of the genetic diversity of
agricultural crops has been lost”.86
It is important to state that simply increasing the number of varieties does not necessarily mean an
increase in biodiversity if the genetic diversity between and within the varieties is relatively low.
Additionally, the number of varieties in the catalogue is not an indicator of the number of varieties
in the field. For example two almost identical varieties with little genetic variation bring no benefits
for genetic/biological diversity. The Commission has tried to legislate solutions for biodiversity with
two Commission directives published in 2008 and 2009, on conservation varieties87 and varieties
with no intrinsic value88, respectively. But there have been various problems with these directives,
because their implementation has severely constrained the activities of those working with these
varieties.
84. “A landrace can be defined as a variable population of cultivated plants, which lacks formal crop improvement and is associated with the traditions of the people
who grow it”. Extract from Preserving genetic resources in agriculture, Achievements of the 17 projects of the Community Programme 2006-2011, European
Commission, 2013,
85. Extract from : Goffaux R., Goldringer I., Bonneuil C., Montalent P. & Bonnin I. (2011). Which indicators for monitoring genetic diversity in cultivated plants? A case
study of common wheat cultivated in France during the 20th century. FRB report, 2011
86. Extract from Human Nature: Agricultural Biodiversity and Farm-based Food Security, H. Shand, study prepared by the Rural Advancement Foundation International
(RAFI) for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, December 1997,
87. Commission Directive 2008/62/EC of 20 June 2008 providing for certain derogations for acceptance of agricultural landraces and varieties which are naturally
adapted to the local and regional conditions and threatened by genetic erosion and for marketing of seed and seed potatoes of those landraces and varieties
(Text with EEA relevance), European Commission, 2008,
88