The significance of seeds and other propagation materials in food systems is undeniable. Seed growing begins with developing new varieties with genetic gains. Especially given climate change, newer varieties need to be delivered to farmers. In almost every country, universities, the private sector, and public research institutes have undertaken the development of varieties.
To use resources more effectively in R&D and innovation, it would be beneficial to bring the plant breeding arms of the public, private sector, and universities under one umbrella. Thus, new breeding methods such as CRISPR, which are generally prominent in universities, can be immediately transferred to national breeding programs. Again, the land, labor, and money savings to be achieved in trial fields can reduce R&D costs.
Brazil's EMBRAPA is a good example: While EMBRAPA ensures Brazil a leadership position in the world market for many products, it does not rely only on "variety development". The developed varieties created such agronomic opportunities that two crop applications per year were started from the same land by planting “soy + soybean” or “wheat + soy” in one year.
EMBRAPA was founded in 1973 to encourage, promote, coordinate, and apply research with new knowledge and technologies to develop agriculture. Its mission was to increase Brazil's agricultural production on the eve of food shortages. For this purpose, EMPREPA was established as an arm within the Ministry of Agriculture, but operates autonomously administratively, and financially. Currently, EMBRAPA includes the National Agricultural Research System (SNPA). We can all learn from Brazil's strategies by leveraging agricultural research for the country's economic gain. FAO, should similarly, work towards bringing all agricultural research institutions under one roof, especially in developing countries.
Prof. Nazimi Acikgoz