A national roadmap towards 100% organic seed (Policy Brief)

Summary

The LIVESEED policy brief presents a roadmap for European countries aiming to achieve 100% organic seed use in organic farming by 2036, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/848. It identifies the slow increase in organic seed production and uptake as a major challenge to meeting this goal. The brief emphasizes the importance of improving national organic seed databases, establishing or expanding organic seed expert groups, and creating detailed roadmaps to phase out derogations for non-organic seed use. Expert groups should bring together all stakeholders in the seed supply chain to monitor seed availability, advise authorities, address bottlenecks, and facilitate the transition to organic seed. The roadmap should be crop-specific, focusing first on major or unique national crops, and employ reliable data and clear deadlines to encourage both seed producers and farmers to invest in and adopt organic seeds. The document recommends linking national databases to the EU Router Database to increase transparency and collaboration. Regular stakeholder dialogue, demonstration trials, and targeted research are key actions highlighted. The brief concludes that implementing these strategies, along with targeted policy measures, will help foster the transition and support EU ambitions for expanding organic agriculture and reaching sustainability targets by 2030.