The INRA-CEP INNOVATION-NOVADI partnership: Contractual framework and associated strategies

A new initiative has been launched to promote and trial INRA varieties following the signing in 2008 of two breeding contracts: one between INRA and its subsidiary Agri Obtentions (AO) and CEP INNOVATION Sarl, which brings together 32 nursery operators and covers several fruit species; and the other between INRA and its subsidiary AO and NOVADI Sarl, which comprises 16 of the 32 nursery operators from CEP INNOVATION and relates specifically to apple trees. Through these contracts, CEP INNOVATION and NOVADI become the exclusive publishers of the material developed by INRA, not only in France but also abroad. For INRA, the aim is to make its plant varieties available to professionals through fruit certification, in order to guarantee varietal authenticity and impeccable plant health, and to ensure high visibility for the results of public research at both national and international levels. Through these contracts, and beyond the release of new varieties, the broader aim is to establish a genuine partnership strategy between the public and private sectors, based on the joint implementation of sustainable orchard management and ensuring high-quality production. This strategy forms part of the initiative launched by the Grenelle Environment Forum.