Seeds of Tomorrow - A CPVO Podcast

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟮
In this final episode of Seeds of Tomorrow – The Next Chapter, we explore a fascinating model of agricultural innovation — where farmers lead the entire value chain, from breeding to global markets.
Hosted at the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), this conversation with Marleen de Rond-Schouten (Director of Agro & Strategy at Royal Avebe) and Nuria Fernández Urquía (Vice President of the CPVO) reveals how a fully integrated, grower-owned cooperative approaches breeding, sustainability and innovation.
From developing disease-resistant and climate-adapted varieties to reducing inputs and exploring new genomic techniques, the episode highlights how combining science, strategy and collaboration can drive long-term impact in agriculture.
It also examines how business models, intellectual property and global demand shape the future of plant breeding — showing that innovation is not only about technology, but about how the entire system works together.

In this episode of Seeds of Tomorrow – The Next Chapter, Alanna Rennie (Chief Legal Officer at BLOOM FRESH) and Montserrat García - Moncó (Head of Unit Legal and Governance at the Community Plant Variety Office) discuss what it takes to bring new fruit varieties to market, from long-term breeding investment to global licensing and enforcement.
From flavour innovation and disease resistance to harvested material protection, provisional protection challenges and the role of DNA testing in court, the discussion offers a practical look at how the plant variety right system operates — and where it may need to evolve.
A conversation about long-term investment, legal certainty and making intellectual property effective across border

In this episode of Seeds of Tomorrow – The Next Chapter, CPVO trainees Sara Juarez (Communication) and Sofia Savoldi (Legal) share their experience of working inside a European agency.
The conversation explores daily life as a trainee, the projects they support, the skills they develop, and how communication and legal work contribute to the CPVO’s mission of supporting innovation in plant breeding across Europe.
A practical and personal insight into learning, responsibility and professional growth within an EU public service environment.

In this episode of Seeds of Tomorrow – The Next Chapter, Dr. Ana Wünsch Blanco (CITA Aragón / EEAD-CSIC), Dr. Afif Hedhly (CITA Aragón / EEAD-CSIC) and Juan Antonio Vives Valles (University of the Balearic Islands, seconded to the CPVO) discuss the discovery of an “ever-growing” sweet cherry that does not enter winter dormancy.
The conversation explores the genetic and molecular mechanisms behind dormancy, chilling requirements in fruit trees, climate adaptation in Mediterranean production systems, and the implications for long-term breeding strategies.
A focused discussion on how fundamental research, climate pressures and plant variety protection intersect to shape the future of fruit innovation.

In this episode of Seeds of Tomorrow – The Next Chapter, Alain Meilland (Meilland International) and Jean Maison from the Community Plant Variety Office discuss how innovation in ornamental plant breeding is supported by long-term investment, creativity and plant variety protection.
The conversation explores how new rose varieties are developed from the first breeding idea to international commercialisation, the risks associated with unprotected or infringed varieties, and how licensing and enforcement are managed across global markets.
A focused discussion on how breeding expertise, intellectual property and market dynamics shape innovation in the ornamental sector.