Articles | CPVO

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Protection, Intellectual Property and the European Vision

The Economic Principle: The Arithmetic of Variety Research
Innovation in breeding rests on a straightforward reality acknowledged by operators: only a tiny fraction of new varieties—roughly one in a hundred—actually achieves success. Against investments extending over ten or more years, the commercial success rate is extremely limited. If assessed solely through a strict economic calculation comparing cumulative costs against the low probability of success, breeding as a commercial activity would likely be financially unjustifiable.
Legal

29 April 2026
The SAPISE Model – Closed Supply Chain, Identity and Value

Interviewee: Dr Carlo Minoia
Strategic Vision: Bridging Field and Table
The guiding logic of SAPISE is dual-focused.
Dr Minoia explains that genetic research must never lose sight of its purpose: producing high-performing seed “in service of rice cultivation.” At the same time, industrial logic dictates that agronomic performance alone is insufficient if it is not matched by excellence in “organoleptic quality aspects” for the final consumer.
Structure and Risk: A Geographic Insight
Why a cooperative divided between Piedmont and

08 April 2026
The Heart of Innovation – Genetics, Time and Climate Adaptation

The Heart of Innovation – Genetics, Time and Climate Adaptation
Interviewee: Dr Laura Casella

The Overall Vision: The Logic of Trade-Off
How are scientific priorities balanced in an era of climate crisis?
Dr Casella’s answer reveals a central truth: innovation is never the maximisation of a single trait, but a delicate exercise in equilibrium. The objective is to deliver “a good compromise among all these components.”
The

23 March 2026
An Apple as Public Policy: How Bernina© Became a Territorial Value Chain in Valtellina

From genetic selection to the creation of a territorial value chain: the Bernina© project shows how a new variety can become a tool for local development when research, institutions and operators work along a shared path.
Uta Biino, Technical Director at ERSAF Lombardy, “Regional Agency for Agriculture and Forestry Services”, coordinated the project for building the new apple value chain in the Valtellina area. Within ERSAF, she oversees and coordinates, among other activities, initiatives related to alternative agricultural value chains and the

27 February 2026
The Bernina© apple and the construction of a territorial project in Valtellina

The Bernina© apple originates from years of research at the University of Bologna, but finds in Valtellina the context in which to fully express its potential. Around this variety, a project has been built involving Fondazione Fojanini, producers and the Lombardy Region, eventually developing into an organised value chain. For the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO), Bernina© represents a concrete example of how the plant variety protection system can support territorial strategies capable of combining innovation, identity and development.
Not all agricultural innovations are

20 February 2026
The Soul of Research: The Journey of the Bernina Apple and the Alma Mater Model

From the lecture halls of the Alma Mater to the peaks of Valtellina, the story of a genetic success story that merges science, legal stewardship, and a passion for the land. A model of innovation where the University of Bologna takes center stage in the European fruit-growing landscape.
Innovation in the agricultural sector is not an immediate process, but the result of an institutional vision capable of protecting and leveraging investments in public research. The system of Community Plant Variety Rights (CPVR—a sui generis intellectual property right for protecting new plant

13 February 2026
4 Reasons 4 Plant Varieties Protection

4 Reasons 4 Plant Varieties Protection
Plant Variety Rights (PVR) are a form of intellectual property protection granted to breeders who develop new plant varieties. By securing PVR, breeders can prevent others from reproducing or selling their varieties without permission, giving them a legal framework to safeguard their innovations.
The CPVO manages the PVR system in Europe since 30 Years.
PVR are crucial for encouraging investment in plant breeding and agricultural innovation. They ensure that breeders are recognised and rewarded for their work, allowing them to benefit

13 October 2025
Nachtvlinder: the success behind a family run-business

Nachtvlinder BV is a real family business. Together with their daughter Ellen Akerboom, Peter and Gerda Akerboom are engaged in the breeding of various crops. In 1980, Peter Akerboom started breeding Asters for cut flowers. Nowadays, the Asters are the company’s main specialty next to Helleborus and they also do some work in breeding Eryngium and Solidago. The company is based in the village of Ter Aar in The Netherlands.
How many of your aster varieties are being protected by CPVO and in which countries they are being cultivated?
About 20 aster varieties are already

24 February 2025
Advanced Berry Breeding: Innovations that Empower Growers for a Profitable Future

CPVO 'Plant Breeding Success Stories' continue with another example of a promising European enterprise: Advanced Berry Breeding. With its headquarters based in The Netherlands, the company's main focus is breeding innovative raspberries with low inputs —less water, les fertilizer and chemicals—while setting new standards in grower ease, post-harvest quality and profitability. Today, we discuss the latest trends in the sector with Mr. Hubert Gadret, Chief Executive Officer at ABB, and Mr. Roy Briga, Chief Scientific Officer at ABB.
CPVO: Could you briefly describe the story

13 January 2025
Enhancing Rice Quality Through Innovation: CPVO's Role in Protecting and Promoting New Plant Varieties

The Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) is at the forefront of agricultural innovation in Europe, ensuring that new plant varieties receive the protection they deserve.
This protection is crucial for encouraging the development of crops that are not only better for the environment but also healthier for consumers.
A recent study ( here the link ) by the University of Milan has brought to light some exciting findings about pigmented rice varieties.
These are not your everyday

05 September 2024
Promoting Innovation and Sustainability in Agriculture: CPVO's Active Role in Global Dialogue

The Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) continues to play a pivotal role in promoting innovation and sustainability in agriculture, as demonstrated by the active participation of its President, Mr. Francesco Mattina, in a significant international seminar held on August 19, 2024, in Bangkok, Thailand. The event, organized by IPKey EU South-East Asia, brought together prominent figures from the agricultural sector to discuss the crucial role of plant variety protection in achieving sustainable development goals.
Highlighting the Role of Plant Variety Protection
The seminar was

19 August 2024
Plant breeding Success Stories: Highlands Potplants: Cultivating the Future of Plant Breeding

Highlands Potplants, a leading name in the cultivation of Agapanthus Amourette®, sheds light on their journey, challenges, and the role of the CPVO system in ensuring the protection of plant varieties. Here's an insight into their world.

Could you briefly describe the work of Highlands Potplants?

Highlands Potplants specializes in the cultivation of Agapanthus Amourette®. In addition to this, we also offer the Agapanthus Big with broad leaves. Our product range in Agapanthus is diverse, available in pots ranging from 13 to 40 in various colors. We manage multiple

26 September 2023