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Summer School 2026: Handling the complexity of organic plant breeding

A group of people in a field.

28 participants and 19 trainers from different organisations and disciplinary backgrounds came together in Spain. (Photo: FiBL, Mariateresa Lazzaro)

People in a classroom.

The Summer School combined lectures... (Photo: FiBL, Mariateresa Lazzaro)

People outside are looking at pods on a table.

... with hands-on practical activities, an on-farm visit and collaborative group work. (Photo: FiBL, Mariateresa Lazzaro)

In mid-July 2026, the LiveSeeding project and ECO-PB held their Summer School at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Spain, bringing together breeders, seed savers, researchers, students, advisors and farmers for a week dedicated to organic plant breeding. The event was organised by FiBL together with other partners of the LiveSeeding project and ECO-PB.

The LiveSeeding & ECO-PB Summer School was a 5-day training event designed to support the advancement of organic plant breeding. The training activities covered topics ranging from new cultivar development, cultivar testing and high-quality organic seed production to participatory research approaches, entrepreneurship in the organic seed sector, seed policy and stakeholder engagement across the value chain. 

Combining theoretical sessions and peer exchange

The Summer School was designed for a diverse group of participants, including students, researchers, breeders and other stakeholders interested in organic breeding and seed systems. It brought together 28 participants and 19 trainers from different organisations and disciplinary backgrounds, providing an interactive learning environment that combined theoretical sessions and peer exchange. It was organised by Mariateresa Lazzaro (FiBL), Adrián Rodríguez Burruezo (Universitat Politècnica de València UPV), Véronique Chable (French Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment INRAE), Francesca Gori (Rete Semi Rurali) and Matteo Petitti (European Consortium for Organic Plant Breeding ECO-PB).

Hands-on and on-farm

Designed to foster a new generation of professionals equipped to handle the complexities of diversified seed systems, the programme combined lectures, hands-on practical activities, an on-farm visit and collaborative group work. Participants explored the full lifecycle of organic cultivar development, from characterising crop diversity and managing plant genetic resources to applying classical, participatory and molecular breeding methods, and even designing business initiatives for the organic seed sector.

The main objective of the LiveSeeding project is to foster the growth of the organic sector and transition towards more sustainable local food systems by delivering high-quality organic seed of diverse cultivars adjusted to organic farming for a wide range of crops.

The full article can be found on the LiveSeeding website (see link below).

Further information

Contact

Mariateresa Lazzaro

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