Discussing IP strategies in the seed sector
In February 2025, the ACLP Managing Director Hélène Guillot took part in the round table discussion “Intellectual Property and Seeds: A Philosophy of Sovereignty” organized by SEMAE, the French Interprofessional Organisation for Seeds and Plants, at the annual Paris International Agricultural Show.
During the discussion, Hélène explained that companies use different strategies to protect their innovations, and licensing platforms play a key role in today’s landscape, where patents & plant breeders’ rights (PBR) coexist. They help democratize access by simplifying innovation sharing—especially for SMEs—while making licenses compulsory for members. She also shared some data:
In Europe, less than 1% of commercialized agricultural crop varieties contain a patented trait.
Euroseeds and UFS were also present and explained that they recently updated their IP Position, to better reflect the different needs and practices of their membership.
The full video can be watched here (in French): https://www.villagesemence.fr/sia2025/propriete-intellectuelle-et-semences-une-philosophie-de-la-souverainete/
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