Food Not Fuel

For the near future, Klaus Schlünder says that the KWS aim is to provide hybrids that produce high yield and high oils for the food market.

“There is a big question mark over bio-fuels in general, with less than 1% of the worldwide total available area being used for this purpose. In Germany, where we are market leaders in bio-diesel, the industry is in turmoil with the government providing no clear direction.

“With world food shortages a key problem, our investment is in addressing this issue. Our aim is to produce rapes that have resistance characteristics that are not reliant on a single gene, but are tolerant based on multiple genes. This will provide more stability in the food sector.”

Peter Werner backs this. “Our goal has to be maximum profit on farm from a balance of reduced inputs based on sustainable agricultural systems combined with high output. That’s minimum carbon use for maximum food value,” he says.