b'WARNING: FACTS AHEAD!BAYER ON EU POLICY MAKING, GLYPHOSATE VERDICTS AND THE NEONICS BAN.BY: MARCEL BRUINSA fter its Monsanto takeover, lifesibility to make sure that consumers andcial varieties covered by patents provided has not been all roses andsun- civil society as a whole are equipped withthat newly developed varieties that con-shine for Bayer. With sharehold- sound and science-based elements totain a patented trait or technology can ers grumbling, glyphosate trials and themake their own informed choices. Bayeronly be commercialized if a commercial neonics ban, I had many questions. So,is playing its part on that alongside withlicense from the patent holder is in place. I asked Bruno Tremblay, who is Head ofstimulating dialogue, better coordinationWe contribute to the PINTO database Bayer Division Crop Science for Europeand alignment of the seed industry withadministered by Euroseeds (formerly Middle East Africa (EMEA) for his takethe food and feed chain operators. Policythe European Seed Association) which on some of these controversial issues.making in the EU cannot continue to bealerts plant breeders as to which patents dealt with in silos: agriculture should beare relevant with regards to individual EUROPEAN SEED (ES): BRUNO,approached holistically.commercial varieties and we have an TODAY, WHERE DO YOU SEEe-licensing platform for vegetable traits. MAJOR CHALLENGES IN EUES: HOW DO THE CURRENTIn the meantime, we actively encourage POLICY MAKING WITH REGARDSINTELLECTUAL PROPERTYindustry-wide discussions to address any TO AGRICULTURE AND THE SEEDREGIMES AVAILABLE IN EUROPEremaining concerns.SECTOR? INFLUENCE BAYERS ABILITY TO BRUNO TREMBLAY (BT):Agriculture hasINNOVATE?ES: HOW DOES THE ACCESS become a very emotional space to tackleBT:In order to protect and provide aTO SEEDS INDEX SUPPORT and to address. At Bayer we welcomefair return on our significant invest- THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF SEED and embrace these emotions; we listen,ment of 5.2 billion Euros in innovationCOMPANIES TO SMALL HOLDER indeed but we try to focus the debatein 2018, we support the implementationFARMERS? HOW COULD THE on facts and science-based elements.in all countries of a robust and transpar- INDEX IMPROVE?The reconciliation of civil society withent legal framework for the protectionBT:Bayer fully recognizes the needs of science goes far and beyond the seedof Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)smallholder farmers and their communi-sector, the major challenge we see today,related to plant-based inventions. Weties, especially in regions with underper-impacting all spheres of policy makingbelieve such laws encourage investmentforming agricultural systems. We recently in the agricultural space. Transparencyin innovation, new products and technol- announced our intention to empowerthat Bayer fully supportsis certainlyogies and benefit farmers and society inmore than 100 million smallholder farm-a value and a tool that policy makers arethe long term.ers and their families in developing holding to restore trust but, alone, isBayer is aware of concerns that arecountries resulting in more robust and not enough. A change is needed in theexpressed with patent protection forresilient agricultural systems.way we tackle policy making in the EU:plants, seeds and traits and believes theWe believe that the Access to Seeds a proper and proportionate communica- benefits of patent protection should beIndex methodology will develop further tion on risks needs to be implementedbalanced by providing transparent accessto better reflect the reality and complex-and subsequently boosted for innova- to commercial varieties as a basis for fur- ity of the seed industry - and the business tion to be unfold in the EU agriculturalther breeding. In this respect, Bayer hasmodels of smallholder farming in critical sector. Our farmers deserve to have thesupported the introduction of a limitedgeographies.same competitive toolbox with peers inbreeders exemption in European patentBayer has actively engaged in the other countries: it is a collective respon- laws that allows breeding with commer- Access to Seeds Index since it was first 14IEUROPEAN SEEDIEUROPEAN-SEED.COM'