Limagrain

Access to company genetic resources
The company gives access to its own genetic resources by contributing genetic material to national genebanks, and allows these materials to be placed under the Multilateral System of the the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).

Developing improved varieties of global crops and breeding programme for specific traits
While Limagrain does not have its own breeding programme in Western and Central Africa, it has breeding programmes outside the region for the region and makes varieties of fields crops and vegetables available with traits such as resistance to biotic stress and improved nutritional value. The company also focuses on incorporating resistance/tolerance to pests and diseases especially important for smallholder farmers in index countries, notably Chilli Veinal Mottle Virus (ChiVMV). Through a partnership with Seed Co, the company collaborates on the development of field crops and in Ghana and Cameroon, and the company also works with public research institutes on breeding and variety development.

Seed production activities in index region
Limagrain has seed production locations that involve local farmers through a joint-venture with Seed Co in Ghana. The company is also planning to extend its seed production to other countries in the region, where it is already running pilot productions.

Information and communications technology (ICT)
Limagrain allows farmers, dealers and extensive service providers to access their LG App, which provides support for density calculations and best sowing periods according to seasonality. The app also includes information on shops that offer seeds and other farm inputs, as well as recommendations on crop management for each of their products.

Access to seeds for smallholder farmers
The company states it aims to offer seed packages in appropriate sizes to smallholder farmers in index countries. However, it could expand its ambitions to other aspects of ensuring access to seeds for smallholder farmers.

Stakeholder engagement
While the company engages with stakeholders, including the International Seed Federation (ISF), on topics such as genetic resources and biotechnology, the company has an opportunity to disclose how it identifies its most relevant stakeholders.

Conservation of genetic resources
The company’s conservation activities include variety maintenance and a germplasm collection of maize and soyabean. The company states it supports national and international genebanks in conserving the germplasm of crops grown in the region, but it could provide greater disclosure on how it provides such support.

Local participation in breeding/variety development
The company informs its breeding programmes with feedback from local farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in index countries and integrates their requirements from the very start of its research programmes. However, the company does not disclose region-specific information on such activities, and does not give specific attention to the feedback of women farmers.

Quality management in seed production in index countries
In West and Central Africa, the company has only just started seed production, so it has not set up its own quality control labs yet. It is in the process of identifying reliable official labs in the region to sub-contract quality control from the beginning. The company has the opportunity to provide further details as to how it ensures quality management in its seed production activities in the region.

Social and labour rights in seed production
The company does not disclose a policy committing to prohibit child and forced labour nor does it disclose a commitment to respect the health and safety of workers both when seed production is carried out by the company itself or through an intermediary. Furthermore, the company does not disclose that it pays its workers a living wage or requires its intermediaries to do so.

Diverse portfolio
As it offers four or more varieties for the majority of its crops in some index countries where it has sales, Limagrain can offer more varieties and more seed types per crop in the region.

Packaging and labelling
The company offers seed packages with appropriate sizes for smallholder farmers in the region, ranging from 5 gram to 1 kilogram. The company could improve its disclosure in this area regarding its use of track and trace systems and local languages on seed packaging.

Programmes for women farmers and next-generation farmers
The company provides extension services in the region but can expand its programmes to target women and next-generation farmers.

Cabbage
Maize
Onion

Maize
Millets
Rice, paddy
Soybean
Sunflower
Wheat

Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Eggplant
Gourd
Green bean
Green pea
Lettuce
Melon
Okra
Onion
Pepper (hot)
Pepper (sweet)
Pumpkin
Squash
Tomato
Watermelon

Download the portfolios of all companies in the 2021 index for Western and Central Africa here.

Access to company genetic resources
The company gives access to its own genetic resources by contributing genetic material to national genebanks, and allows these materials to be placed under the Multilateral System of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).

Plant breeding activities in index countries and breeding programme with specific traits
Limagrain has its own breeding programme in South Africa and develops varieties of both field crops and vegetables with a number of traits that are particularly important for smallholder farmers, such as resistance to biotic stress and improved nutritional value. The company also focuses on incorporating resistance and tolerance to pests and diseases, notably tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), a trait that is especially important for smallholder farmers in index countries.

Quality management in seed production
The company implements an internal quality management system covering all of its seed production in the region, with internal requirements to reduce its exposure to the risks of product nonconformity. It also has two quality control labs in South Africa that are officially accredited.

Extension services
Limagrain offers extension services in Kenya through one of its subsidiaries, HM.CLAUSE, which provides support to smallholder farmers on the use of its varieties. The subsidiary published and distributed a guide to 1000 farmers that describes good practices to optimise production yields. Limagrain was also the first seed producer to commit as a founding partner of Fair Planet, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that has been active in Ethiopia since 2012, which trains smallholder growers on how to use high-performance varieties, and has trained over 250 reference producers in the six years it has been operating.

Access to seeds for smallholder farmers
The company has an objective related to offering seed packages in appropriate sizes to smallholder farmers in index countries. However, it could expand its objectives to other aspects of ensuring access to seeds for smallholder farmers.

Stakeholder engagement
While the company engages with stakeholders, including the International Seed Federation (ISF), on topics such as genetic resources and biotechnology, the company has an opportunity to disclose how it identifies its most relevant stakeholders.

Conservation of genetic resources
The company’s conservation activities include variety maintenance and germplasm of maize and soya bean. The company could provide greater disclosure on how it supports national and international genebanks in conserving the germplasm of crops grown in index countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa region.

Local participation in breeding and variety development
Limagrain uses feedback from local farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in index countries to inform its breeding programme and integrates their requirements from the start of its research programmes. However, the company does not disclose region-specific information on such activities and does not give specific attention to feedback from women farmers.

Variety testing
The company only performs variety trials in South Africa and Zimbabwe, two of the 11 index countries where it is active, on crops from its own breeding programmes and portfolio. It could consider extending its testing locations to some of the other nine countries.

Seed production activities in index regions
The company has seed production locations in South Africa where it involves local companies, farmer organisations and local farmers. However, it has an opportunity to expand its seed production to cover more than one country in the region and to provide examples on how it collaborates with local players in the region.

Social and labour standards in seed production
In South Africa, Limagrain is working with a local advisory company on a regulation to ensure that it complies with the law regarding child and forced labour, and it has an internal policy regarding these social standards. The company also has a dedicated team that makes sure all operations across the world comply with Limagrain’s health and safety standards. However, the company has the opportunity to disclose how it monitors compliance in accordance with international social and labour standards. Furthermore, the company does not disclose that it pays its workers a living wage or requires its intermediaries to do so.

Packaging and labelling
Limagrain offers seed packages in appropriate sizes for smallholder farmers in the region, ranging from 5 g to 500 g. The company could improve its disclosure in this area regarding its use of track and trace systems and local languages on seed packaging.

Quality assurance and after-sales
Limagrain monitors its distribution network by training distributors on seed storage practices. To prevent the sale of counterfeit seeds, the company has registered its brand in all countries where it has sales. The company provides after-sales support by addressing claims that customers file. The company can improve its disclosure regarding its quality assurance systems and practices to prevent the sale of expired seeds.

Programmes for women farmers and next-generation farmers
The company provides extension services in the region but can expand its programmes to target women and next-generation farmers.

Onion
Maize
Cabbage

Maize
Millets
Rice, paddy
Soya bean
Sunflower
Wheat

Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Eggplant
Gourd
Green bean
Green pea
Lettuce
Melon
Okra
Onion
Pepper (hot)
Pepper (sweet)
Pumpkin
Squash
Tomato
Watermelon

Download the portfolios of all companies in the 2021 index for Eastern and Southern Africa here.

Access to company genetic resources
The company gives access to its own genetic resources by contributing genetic material to national genebanks, and allows these materials to be placed under the Multilateral System of the ITPGRFA.

Plant breeding activities in index countries, breeding programme with specific traits and variety testing
Limagrain has its own breeding programme in Thailand and India and develops varieties with a number of traits that are particularly important for smallholder farmers, such as resistance to biotic stress and longer shelf life. The company also focuses on incorporating resistance and tolerance to regionally important pests and diseases, notably chilli veinal mottle virus (CVMV or ChiVMV). The company conducts variety trials across the region on crops from its own breeding programmes and portfolio as well as other breeding programmes, such as those of other companies or public research institutes.

Quality management in seed production in index countries
The company implements an internal quality management system covering all of its seed production in the region, which includes internal requisitions to ensure that its production activities comply to industry standards. Limagrain further has an accredited quality control lab in Thailand.

Distribution channels
The company has distribution channels in five countries in the region, and it services remote areas in most of those countries through its distributors as well as through collaboration with government agencies.

Extension services
Limagrain provides extension services in Vietnam and India, where the company conducts field visits and offers agronomic advice on maize cultivation. It also holds meetings in India, where it gives demonstrations on how to use seeds properly. Limagrain has reached 310,000 smallholder farmers in the region through these extension services for the period 2018-2020.

Information and communications technology (ICT)
Using the social network Line, the company provides price communication on maize to local dealers as well as information on cultivation, farming practices, new products, and health and safety behaviours for cultivation. Furthermore, the company developed a mobile application called “Maize Manager” which includes features that enable smallholders to asses crop conditions, advises then on optimal harvesting times as well as providing them with feed and sowing recommendations.

Access to seeds for smallholder farmers and governance and accountability
The company has objectives ensuring access to seeds for smallholder farmers through marketing and sales and capacity building, with a focus on servicing remote areas and offering extension services to smallholder farmers in index countries. However, the company could expand its objectives to other aspects of ensuring access to seeds for smallholder farmers. The company’s sales manager and sales and product development teams are responsible for overseeing the company’s access to seeds strategy. To further improve its performance in this area, Limagrain could assign its highest governance body oversight responsibility and link its remuneration policy to its access to seeds objectives.

Stakeholder engagement
The company engages with stakeholders, including the Thai Seed Trade Association (THASTA), the Asia and Pacific Seed Association (APSA) and the International Seed Federation (ISF), on topics such as genetic resources and biotechnology. However, the company has an opportunity to disclose how it identifies its most relevant stakeholders.

Conservation of genetic resources
The company’s conservation activities include variety maintenance and germplasm of maize, rice and millet. The company could provide greater disclosure on how it supports national and international genebanks in conserving the germplasm of crops grown in index countries.

Local participation in breeding/variety development
The company uses feedback from local farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in index countries to inform its breeding programme, and it integrates their requirements from the start of its research programmes. However, the company does not disclose region-specific information on such activities, nor does it give specific attention to feedback from women farmers.

Seed production activities in index region
The company has seed production locations in India, Indonesia and Thailand, and it involves local companies, farmer organisations, intermediaries and local farmers in its seed production activities. It has the opportunity to provide examples on how it collaborates with local players in the region.

Engaging smallholder farmers in seed production
The company engages smallholder farmers in seed production. Smallholder farmers produce all of its seed in Thailand, and a quarter of it in India. Limagrain also offers and requires intermediaries to offer contracts to smallholders that outline arrangements on product prices. However, the company has an opportunity to provide examples of the contracts offered and evidence on how these arrangements are favourable to smallholders.

Social and labour standards in seed production
Limagrain has applied a comprehensive procedure to eliminate child labor in India, and it is closely monitoring how this is implemented across its seed production. This is compromised by regular internal audits, external audits, and sanctions against subcontractors who fail to meet the company’s commitments. However, the company has the opportunity to demonstrate that it has conducted a child labor risk assessment and require its intermediaries to verify the ages of their workers. The company monitors compliance with forced labour standards through direct communication with farmers, but it could carry out specialised audits to detect forced labour and provide evidence of a forced labour risk assessment. Limagrain monitors compliance with health and safety through briefings, audits, training sessions and awareness programmes in India, but it does not specify how this is monitored when intermediaries carry out seed production. The company does not disclose how it ensures that workers in its seed production are paid a living wage.

Diverse portfolio
Although the company offers four or more varieties for the majority of crops in Cambodia, Limagrain can diversify its portfolio by offering more varieties per crop in other index countries where it has sales and more seed types per crop in the region.

Demonstration and promotion strategies
Limagrain has demonstration and promotion activities in India, including radio advertisements, farmers’ meetings, social media testimonials and presentations. The company has an opportunity to expand these programmes to other index countries where it has sales and to design programmes specifically for women smallholder farmers.

Programmes for women farmers and next-generation farmers
The company provides extension services in the region but can expand its programmes to target women and next-generation farmers.

Carrot
Maize
Tomato

Maize
Millets
Rice, paddy
Soya bean
Sunflower
Wheat

Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Eggplant
Gourd
Green bean
Green pea
Lettuce
Melon
Okra
Onion
Pepper (hot)
Pepper (sweet)
Pumpkin
Squash
Tomato
Watermelon

Choisam
Yardlong bean
Mustard

Download the portfolios of all companies in the 2021 index for South and South-East Asia here.