b'PARTNER CONTENTDiversity Key to Global SuccessBy: Regis Fournier - CEO Limagrain Field SeedsL imagrain has come a long way fromgrowing crops in their localities. do this by understanding their needs. In its modest beginnings as a farmersOne of the beautiful things about thisturn, local farmers give us valuable feed-co-operative in France more than 50business is that we get to work with farm- back that helps us optimize our research years ago. In those early years, most of itsers of all sizes across six continents. Some,program to meet those needs. revenue came from the domestic market.in places like Ukraine or Brazil, farm tensOur focus on farmers motivates us to Today 90% of Limagrain Field Seeds earn- of thousands of hectares while others,find innovative solutions through genetics ings come from outside the country and,in India, for instance, or in some Africanand I strongly believe that one of the keys while Europe continues to be our biggestcountries farm half a hectare. Often theirto our global success has been the diver-market, I am pleased to say that we nowgoals are different. While some farmerssity of the germplasm we produce. Hav-have subsidiaries in 40 countries withgrow crops with the aim of producing aing a global presence gives us access to sales to farmers in 80 countries. commercial product, others do it to feedgermplasm thats been tested in multiple Being a global company means thattheir families.regions around the world and the ability to we can take advantage of those aspects ofI consider it an honor to be abletake advantage of synergies between the the business that canand mustbeto speak to such a diversity of farm- germplasm that we breed in every market. globalized if we want to be competitive.ers. Theyre the reason its essential forSince farmers in most regions grow The larger our international footprint is,Limagrain Field Seeds to have teams onseveral crops in their rotations, its critical the more resources we have available tothe ground who make sure we are offer- that we invest our financial resources in invest in the R&D thats necessary to bringing the right products to the right farmersbreeding programs that target our four premium products to market in our ongo- in the right way. We have people in eachglobally strategic field crops (corn, wheat, ing effort to help farmers grow the bestmarket who work with farmers to ensuresunflower and winter oilseed rape) as well possible crops. they get the most out of our seeds. A large- regionally adapted seeds including barley, At the same time, its essential that wescale farmer in the midwestern Unitedmillet, pulses, rice and soybeans.remain close to farmers wherever theyStates doesnt have the same needs as aKnowing that Limagrain began as a co-are in the world. They are our single mostsmall farmer in Zambia and wont chooseoperative of farmers who banded together important resource. Working with themthe same varieties. We need to constantlyfor the benefit of all is key to understand-every day allows us to benefit from theiradapt our advice to help all kinds of farm- ing why we continue to place them at the pragmatism and to learn the realities ofers get the best from our products and wecenter of our global initiatives. DECEMBER 2024SEEDWORLD.COM /39'