The future of food security begins with plant breeding

2026.10.27

As climate change, emerging plant diseases, and geopolitical disruptions put food supply systems under pressure, it is becoming increasingly clear that future food systems will require both stronger Nordic cooperation and faster development of resilient crops. This was the overarching message when researchers, plant breeders, policymakers, companies, and funders gathered in Malmö for the Seeds of Resilience conference, where plant genetic resources and plant breeding were highlighted as key tools for improving preparedness and sustainability.

No single actor can solve these challenges alone 

Opening the conference, Karen Ellemann, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, highlighted the need for crops that can withstand climate change, deliver high yields with fewer inputs, and contribute to nutritious diets. She also stressed the importance of cross-border collaboration.

"No nation can protect biodiversity alone. No institution can conserve the world's genetic resources on its own. We need each other. A clear example of this kind of important cooperation is NordGen." 

This perspective is at the heart of the Nordic Public-Private Partnership for Pre-breeding (Nordic PPP), a collaboration between public research institutions and private plant breeding companies that co-hosted the conference together with NordGen, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), and EUCARPIA.

In her welcome address, Kati Lassi, Senior Specialist at Finland's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Chair of the Nordic PPP Steering Committee, emphasised that the Nordic countries operate under unique growing conditions where collaboration is essential for developing crops capable of withstanding climate-related stresses. By combining genetic resources, research, and practical breeding efforts, the development of new varieties can be accelerated.

The importance of this collaborative model was reinforced by Muath Alsheikh, Head of Research and Development at Graminor AS. He explained that Nordic PPP enables research that would be difficult for individual companies to undertake on their own and serves as a bridge between public research and commercial plant breeding.

Nordic food security 

Discussions on cropping systems, conservation efforts, and the latest technologies were united by one overarching theme: the future of food security. This is a challenge for the Nordic countries as well, which depend on well-functioning international supply chains.

According to NIBIO, Norway's food self-sufficiency rate has remained between 40 and 50 percent since the 1950s and reached 47 percent in 2023. Meanwhile, Sweden imports around half of the food it consumes, according to LRF. Finland, by contrast, is close to self-sufficient in several animal products and has produced a surplus of bread grain in recent years, although its agricultural production remains dependent on imported inputs such as fertilisers, fuel, feed protein, and agricultural machinery.

Against this backdrop, the conference made it clear that future food systems will require both stronger plant breeding efforts and closer cooperation.

Genetic diversity as a preparedness issue 

A recurring question throughout the conference was how agriculture can adapt to an increasingly unpredictable environment. For plant breeders, the challenge is not about individual traits but about developing varieties that can withstand multiple stresses simultaneously, including drought, heat, flooding, frost, and disease. This is where access to genetic diversity becomes crucial.

Nigel Maxted, Professor at the University of Birmingham, described how not only climate change, but also pandemics, trade barriers, and geopolitical conflicts can cause serious disruptions to food systems. At the same time, genetic variation is often lost during the domestication and breeding of crops. For this reason, he identified crop wild relatives as one of the most important resources for future climate adaptation. 

"If we want diversity in our crops, crop wild relatives are the right place to look for climate resilience," said Maxted.

His message was clear: plant genetic resources are not merely a concern for researchers and gene banks; they are a prerequisite for long-term food security and preparedness.

From research to results in the field 

The conference also demonstrated how plant breeding is already delivering practical solutions.

Morten Lillemo, Professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, presented work aimed at developing cereals resistant to Fusarium graminearum, a fungal disease that produces mycotoxins in grain, causes shrivelled kernels, and results in significant economic losses. After more aggressive Fusarium strains became established in Norway during the 2000s, many commercial varieties proved susceptible. Through long-term breeding efforts, resistance has gradually improved, and more resilient varieties have been introduced to the market.

Another example came from Åsa Grimberg, Researcher at SLU, who highlighted the potential of faba beans in the transition toward more sustainable food systems. Faba beans contain 20-30 percent protein, require little or no nitrogen fertiliser, and contribute to greater biodiversity. Despite these advantages, the crop is grown on only 1.6 percent of Sweden's arable land. Expanding cultivation will require not only improved varieties but also investment throughout the entire value chain, from farming and food processing to retail and consumers.

Resilience must be built across the entire system 

Several speakers also emphasised that better genetics alone are not enough to create resilient food systems. Among them was Beatrix Alsanius, Professor at SLU, who described how a plant's genetic potential only becomes true resilience when it interacts with the broader biological system. Plants are influenced not only by their environment but also actively shape soil microbiology and the surrounding biodiversity.

The same systems perspective was echoed by Paul Neve, Professor at Aarhus University, who showed how modern agricultural systems have become increasingly dependent on pesticides while biodiversity has declined. He highlighted research demonstrating that yield losses are lower in fields with greater weed diversity. The conclusion was that biodiversity is not only an environmental issue but also a prerequisite for robust agricultural systems.

The conference reached a unanimous and urgent conclusion. At a time when climate change, biodiversity, preparedness, and food security are becoming increasingly intertwined, plant breeding is a strategic investment for society. Success, however, will not be determined solely by new technologies or new varieties. It will depend on our ability to collaborate across disciplines, sectors, and national borders. That is where the seeds of future resilience are truly sown.