Our perspective

On many of these subjects, we work closely with other companies, including through our industry associations Plantum, Euroseeds and the International Seed Federation (ISF).

New breeding methods

Technological progress
For many years, people have selected the best-performing plants to develop new varieties. Technology is offering increasing opportunities to speed up the breeding process and make it more precise. Thanks to new insights from biology, for example, we now have a better understanding of what happens inside the plant and which genes are involved. New genomic techniques (NGTs), such as gene editing and cis-genesis, also offer opportunities to advance fruit and vegetable breeding.

What are NGTs?
NGTs, such as gene editing using methods like CRISPR, are modern techniques that make targeted, precise changes to DNA. This enables plant breeders to develop improved varieties more quickly, for example varieties that are more resilient to climate-related challenges, plant diseases and pests.

NGTs in the European Union
As of 16 July 2026, new European legislation (Regulation (EU) 2026/1388) on NGTs is in force. Due to a transition and implementation period, most provisions will become applicable in practice from July 2028 onward. From then on, plants can be submitted for verification.

With the new NGT-Regulation, the European Union no longer considers the legislation for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) applicable to plants developed using some of these new techniques. As a result, they are less strictly regulated than before and can access the market more easily. In this way, Europe is aligning with countries such as Australia, Great Britain and the United States, where breeding methods such as gene editing and cis-genesis have already been permitted without strict regulation in agriculture and horticulture for some time.

The European Regulation distinguishes between two categories of plants:

• NGT-1 plants are plants that are bred using new techniques, but which are not genetically distinguishable from plants that could also have been developed through conventional breeding. The traits of NGT-1 plants and varieties developed using NGTs can, in principle, also arise from conventional breeding. As a result, in the EU they are now treated as conventional plants rather than GMOs, and neither the plants nor their fruits need to be labelled at product level. However, a verification procedure must be followed, and seeds and other propagation material must include a statement on the packaging. This enables chain partners to choose whether they wish to grow NGT-1 varieties.

• NGT-2 plants are plants with more significant genetic modifications that are regulated as GMOs within the EU.

NGTs outside the European Union
Outside the European Union, the regulation of NGTs and the classification of products may vary by country. Naturally, Rijk Zwaan complies with the local laws and regulations in the countries where we operate.

Our product portfolio
Rijk Zwaan does not develop varieties to which the GMO-Directive applies, and no NGT- varieties are included in our current portfolio.

Intellectual property

Rijk Zwaan considers it important to earn a return on its investment in order to be able to reinvest in research and development activities. Our preferred way of achieving this is through plant breeders’ rights.

Plant Breeders’ Rights
Plant breeders’ rights grant breeders the exclusive right, for a certain period, to produce and commercialise newly developed varieties. This enables breeders to earn back their investments. At the same time, other breeders are free to use this protected variety for further breeding and to market the newly developed, distinct varieties. This so-called breeders’ exemption allows breeders to build on each other’s varieties, resulting in the development of better varieties.

In the view of Rijk Zwaan, smallholder farmers in low-income countries do not need permission to save, reuse, exchange, or sell harvested protected propagating material, in case this is done to support their own livelihoods.

Patent law
At the beginning of this century, patent law entered the field of plant breeding. Patents on technological inventions can contribute to innovation. However, when patents extend to biological material, they can hinder innovation. Rijk Zwaan believes that biologically protected material under patent law should always remain accessible for the development and commercialisation of new varieties. In this, we follow the position of our industry association, Plantum.

International Licensing Platform (ILP) Vegetable
As patents are a reality, we are committed to maintaining opportunities for innovation by working with ILP Vegetable. Breeding companies that are members of the ILP grant each other access to patented biological material under fair and reasonable conditions. Rijk Zwaan is both a co-founder and a member of this platform.

Overview of intellectual property systems
The International Seed Federation (ISF), of which Rijk Zwaan is a member, has published a useful overview of the various forms of intellectual property available to plant breeders.

Position of smallholder farmers

Rijk Zwaan aims to make a positive social contribution in low- and middle-income countries and therefore applies high quality standards. We deliberately choose hybrid varieties, underlining our long-term approach. Cultivating these varieties requires a higher investment compared to traditional open-pollinated varieties but provides farmers with higher yields and better product quality. These hybrid varieties therefore contribute to the development of local market structures and increased local vegetable consumption. We further stimulate vegetable consumption by organising activities such as cooking sessions within local communities.

Rijk Zwaan believes that small-scale local farmers play a crucial role in the food supply of these countries. While good varieties are important, they are not sufficient on their own. To fully realise the potential of these varieties, knowledge transfer is essential. To this end, Rijk Zwaan works closely with governments, NGOs and other (local) partners.

Corporate Social Responsibility

At Rijk Zwaan, we believe that responsible entrepreneurship starts with respect – for people, for nature, and for the future. From this conviction, we take an integrated approach to the environment, social policy and good governance. These three pillars form the foundation on which we build a healthy and fair future for people, society and the environment.

Read more about Corporate Social Responsibility at Rijk Zwaan in our sustainability magazine Doing Business with Respect.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is essential for vegetable breeding. To ensure that we can continue to meet market needs and contribute to food security, we are constantly seeking new genetic variation in our crops. In this context, we collaborate with gene banks around the world. We fund collecting missions that enable gene banks to expand their collections and safeguard genetic resources for the future. In addition, we help to document, characterise and multiply these resources.

Due to patent legislation, the scope of patent protection may also extend to material held in public gene banks, for example to varieties that we have supplied to these gene banks ourselves. However, we will not use our patents to restrict gene banks in making such material available to third parties.

In addition to our collaboration with gene banks, we take ecological measures at our sites to promote biodiversity. For more information, please see our sustainability magazine Doing Business with Respect.

Child labour

Rijk Zwaan, together with partners in the value chain, is committed to preventing child labour in our sector. Unfortunately, we know that child labour does occur in a number of countries where we operate. That is why we actively address this topic in our discussions with partners involved in seed production in those countries. In this way, we use our position in the food chain and our relationships with partners to help prevent child labour and to take action where necessary.

In high-risk countries, such as India, we take additional measures. In our contracts with producers, we explicitly state that we do not tolerate child labour. We also have our producers assessed periodically by an independent external audit organisation.

We collaborate through our industry associations Plantum and ISF with other breeding companies, NGOs, and governments to give proper substance to this topic, using the ISF Practical Guide on Social Rights and Ethical Practices in the Seed Sector. In doing so, we take into account the input and needs of local communities.

Fair labour conditions

At Rijk Zwaan, providing a good working environment for our employees is our top priority. Our Rijk Zwaan Principles on Fair Labour set out what we consider important worldwide in terms of working conditions, employees’ rights and compensation.

The Rijk Zwaan Principles on Fair Labour guide our approach to and interaction with our employees. We also expect our seed producers to endorse the principles as defined in the Rijk Zwaan Principles on Fair Labour. In this way, these principles contribute not only within Rijk Zwaan, but also beyond, to fair labour conditions for employees in our sector.