Oilseed Group

The oilseed sector includes approximately 95 000 seed producers, more than 500 seed collecting organizations (cooperatives, traders), more than 15 etstablishments for seed multiplication as well as many industrial processors. About 15 crushers are located over the French territory: ~ 300 factories for cattle feed production, and factories that treat fats (FranAgriMer and Terres Univia).

The challenges to which the oilseed species are faced depend on the species: rapeseed production has an excellent rotation head whose oil is rich in omega 3, needs to improve its environmental performance (N, pesticides); sunflower production, a low intrant culture, even though it tolerates drought well, it must improve its performances to increase its role in cereal crop rotation; the domestic production of soybean, rich in proteins, must be improved within a context of reduced importations of oilcakes from South America while limiting irrigation needs. The extension of these last two cultures to the north of France is a challenge for the plant sector, all within a context of climate change. Selecting rapeseed and sunflower varieties that are more tolerant to the many bioagressors is also a major challenge for these productions.

For many years, INRAE has been leading finalized research together with support from the oilseed sector (Promosol, UMT, ....) in selection, protection of cultures, agonomy and transformation. Research is aimed at increasing the attractivity for these species for diversification (soybean, sunflower), their adaptation to climate change (for example establishment for rapeseed, double cropping possibilities, varietal associations) and the improvement of environmental balances, both in conventional and organic farming, in an agroecological approach.

Since 2002, the oilseed sector has joined INRAE scientists (agronomy, econnomy, plant health, tranformation, genetics, ...) and other institutions (notably Terres Inovia and FranceAgriMer). It has cobuilt and consolidated a shared representation of oilseed systems, its different links, its actors and the relationships between them and their environment. Its reflection is based on the current state of research dedicated to oilseeds, at INRAE, in France and throughout the world.

The oilseed group meets and carries on studies on its own or as a response to the Agriculture Scientific Direction of INRAE in relation with other industry groups. Therefore the group has contributed to a forward-looking perspective study of oilseeds and has suggested research and action strategies. It has also participated in reflections on the following studies: practices for a high value environmental agriculture, losses and wastes in agriculture and more recently, agroecology and markets. A report in 2023, provides an update on future research on oilseeds according to several scenarios for the evolution of social-economic, environmental and technological contexts.

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