
Citizen consultation and reflection: food, agriculture, and plant improvement for the future (France)
Between March and June 2025, the Biocivam of the Aude region in France and INRAE organized a series of three citizen consultation workshops. The first two were held via videoconference, while the third took place in person in Lagrasse.
The aim of the first two workshops was to provide participants with the tools and knowledge they needed to develop an in-depth and informed reflection on these topics during the final meeting.
1st workshop – Videoconference, March 31, 202
Speakers:
- Caroline Gibert (Solagro) – Presentation of the Afterres scenario.
- Dominique Desclaux (INRAE) – Diversity on the plate, diversity of seeds.
Topics covered:
- Issues related to the development of diversified agricultural and food practices, from seed to plate.
- Participants were asked to reflect on the question: “In your opinion, what could hinder or promote the presence of NUCs on your plate tomorrow?”
2nd workshop – Videoconference, April 23, 2025
Speakers:
- Dominique Desclaux (INRAE) – Continuation of the presentation on seed diversity
- Pierre Barret (INRAE) – Plant improvement using new genomic techniques (NGT).
Topics covered:
- Practices and the legal and professional context surrounding agricultural seeds: genetic resources, natural and cultural heritage, commodification, and innovation
- Strategic issues related to agricultural seeds.
- Plant breeding: practices, challenges, legal and institutional developments (NGT).
3rd workshop – In person, Lagrasse, June 14, 2025
During this final workshop, participants shared their opinions and made recommendations on the development of agricultural practices and the future of plant breeding. To fuel their discussions, several scenarios were proposed, allowing them to imagine the future of NUCs from different perspectives.
A full report of these discussions will be produced in a forthcoming deliverable.
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