The EC
regulation provides for the use of organic technical means,
seed included, in order to obtain organic products. However,
till the end of 2003, a derogation system is in place, in case
organic seeds should not be available. By 2002 the EC
Commission would have had decided about the future of the
derogation system, whether to maintain it or not, how run an
organic data bank etc…. A proposal is still under discussion.
In my opinion this situation of the
derogation is dangerous if we assume that the organic sector
will further develop. This system does not motivate the farmer
to search for and use organic seed; it also does not encourage
the seed companies to invest and produce organic seeds, which
are clearly more expensive then the conventional ones, because
of the risk of unsold products.
In Italy, surely the seedsmen were
more optimistic some years ago, when for instance they
multiplied organic vegetable seeds for other countries and
seed companies, in particular for Northern Europe.
Potentially, the Italian companies
are in a position to produce all the necessary organic seeds.
They already do this for durum wheat and for some vegetable
and herbage species, by availing themselves of naturally
organic production environments.
