© Qiteng T/Adobe Stock This HFFA Research Paper assesses the pivotal role of plant breeding in boosting agricultural productivity across the EU and quantifies its wider socio-economic and environmental benefits, highlighting its strategic relevance in addressing global agricultural challenges.
Global pressures such as population growth, climate change, and limited arable land demand continuous innovation in agriculture. Plant breeding is one of the most effective tools available to increase productivity and sustainability. However, its future potential is threatened by restrictive regulatory conditions and underinvestment in research.
The study evaluates productivity growth across major EU crops, attributing gains to plant breeding innovations. It also quantifies broader welfare effects, including market impacts, environmental benefits, and food security enhancements. Results are based on empirical modelling and synthesis of historical yield and breeding data.
Plant breeding accounts for approximately 74% of productivity growth in EU agriculture.
Since 2000, genetic crop improvements have delivered nearly EUR 9 billion in social welfare gains in the EU agricultural sector.
Major contributions include:
Increased crop yields and quality.
Enhanced international market stability and food availability.
Reduced CO₂ emissions via yield-based land sparing.
These benefits demonstrate the high societal return on investment in plant breeding.
The study concludes with a call for greater political and financial support for plant breeding research to ensure long-term productivity, sustainability, and competitiveness in EU agriculture.
