The Role of Intellectual Property Rights for Sustainable Innovation: The Case of Patents in Plant Breeding

Open online seminar with Gergana Romanova, Department of Food and Resource Economics.

In a report commissioned by the Danish Agricultural Agency in 2024, we explored how the EU's proposed regulation on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) could reshape the future of Danish plant breeding.

This session unpacks the rising legal uncertainties, cost burdens, and potential innovation barriers posed by a likely increase in patenting of NGT-derived plant varieties.

Drawing on insights from plant breeders, legal experts, and industry leaders, the presentation examines the growing tension between traditional Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) and the patent system.

The seminar aims to deepen the understanding of the stakes for innovation, sustainability, and biodiversity and the competitiveness of small- and medium-sized breeders in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, and to spark discussion.

The report is available here.

How to participate

The seminar is open to all.
The seminar will take place online via Zoom