| InnoPlanta e.V. was established in May 2000 and was the winner of the InnoRegio competition, an endeavour launched by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). From 2000 to 2006 under the auspices of the “Enterprise Region” initiative, 38 projects, of which 21 were joint projects with several partners comprising a total volume of more than EUR 30 million, were able to achieve important results in the participating enterprises and research institutes, for example, registration of new varieties to be analysed by the Federal Office of Plant Varieties or the development of productrelated data banks in the bioinformation sector. During the course of the initiative 123 new jobs were created at the participating enterprises. The network partners registered a total of 251 patents and licences during this period.
Over the course of this initiative the number of association members rose from 34 founding members to more than 100 members spanning the whole network spectrum of science, research, industry, agriculture, manufactoring and the service industry. The network lays great value on excellent cooperation with regional authorities and educational establishments. With regard to public relations the annual InnoPlanta Forum organized by InnoPlanta e.V. is now firmly anchored. In addition, the association participates in technical trade fairs and exhibitions, for example the BIOTECHNICA trade fair or the DLG field days where it showcases its business activities.Mid 2006 the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Innovative Landwirte” (InnoPlanta AGIL) – the Innovative Farmers’ Working Group was founded under the umbrella company InnoPlanta e.V., InnoPlanta AGIL advises and supports farmers in the practical application of plant biotechnology and is actively involved in the discussion process on
green biotechnology at the community level.
Cooperation Partners
The most important cooperation partners are BIO Mitteldeutschland GmbH, the Association of German Plant Breeders and other plant biotech networks in Germany and Europe. InnoPlanta is a member of the initiative “Networks of Competence Germany” by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.Technological Competence
The most important research foci in the project work to date were
- The development of new, molecular genetic plant breeding methods
- Resistance breeding in important crops
- Crops with new and improved nutrition
- Breeding optimization of regional specialized crops
In further projects InnoPlanta e.V. has gained important insights into the coexistence of different agricultural cultivation methods: In the nationwide coordinated field trial cultivation of Bt Maize in 2004 and in studies on the introduction of quality assurance systems in the wheat and fodder trade with the purchase of grain maize.
Products and Services
InnoPlanta supports its members by offering consultancy services, public relations activities and legal advice. InnoPlanta actively represents its members at the political, economic and communal level and wishes to enter into an objective dialogue with all citizens on the issue of green gene technology.
Highlight
Based on the experiences gain from the field trial cultivation of Bt maize in 2004 and the practical cultivation in 2005 the Innovative Farmers’ Working Group was established in 2006 within the InnoPlanta network and is open to all farmers nationwide.
InnoPlanta AGIL supports farmers who wish to benefit from the opportunities and potential offered by plant biotechnology and demands practicable and calculable genetic engineering legislation.
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