The GEVES (Groupement d’Études des Variétés et Semences) meets the challenges of competitiveness in the French seed industry and adaptation to climate change by working to preserve seeds and seedlings in France.

Official missions to regulate seeds and seedlings

GEVES’s main mission is to ensure compliance with regulations governing seeds and seedlings. It is responsible for registering new plant varieties in the official catalogue, protecting them and certifying seeds before they are placed on the market. These official tasks are designed to guarantee the quality and conformity of seeds marketed in France.

GEVES also coordinates the national conservation of plant genetic resources on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture. The aim is to preserve cultivated biodiversity to help agriculture adapt to climate change and promote sustainable, environmentally efficient farming practices.

A strategic partnership for INRAE

As a founding member of the GIP GEVES, INRAE supports the latter’s actions that contribute to the performance of French and European agriculture. The tasks carried out as part of the permanent support system for the implementation of public policies are the evaluation of varieties submitted for inclusion in the official catalogue, and the control, certification and protection of seeds.

INRAE produces technical regulations for the registration of varieties, analysis methods and variety assessment data, analysis results and variety description sheets.

GEVES also produces and manages large quantities of data linked to research and development programmes, variety assessments and laboratory analyses. This data is a valuable resource for research projects. As part of its data governance strategy, GEVES plans to develop measures to optimise the management and use of this data.