Towards equitable public sector plant breeding in the US

Authors: BRZOZOWSKI, LAUREN - Cornell University; HANSON, SOLVEIG - University Of British Columbia; Jannink, Jean-Luc; MEINTS, BRIGID - Oregon State University; MOORE, VIRGINIA - Cornell University; TUFAN, HALE - Cornell University; VILLWOCK, SEREN - Cornell University

Submitted to: Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/2/2022
Publication Date: 6/14/2022
Citation: Brzozowski, L., Hanson, S., Jannink, J., Meints, B., Moore, V., Tufan, H., Villwock, S. 2022. Towards equitable public sector plant breeding in the US. Crop Science. https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20800.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/csc2.20800

Interpretive Summary: Plant breeding is central to agriculture, and shifts in plant breeding practices (e.g., hybrid development) and selection goals (e.g., response to synthetic fertilizer) have catalyzed monumental and persistent changes in agricultural production systems of all scales with social, political, economic, and environmental repercussions. While plant breeders are largely trained in the sciences of biology, genetics, and statistics, there is an ethical imperative to examine the degree of equity with which the benefits of new research and plant varieties are distributed. In the United States, the history of plant breeding parallels the colonial history of agriculture, which compels reflection by current plant breeders about their role in shaping our agricultural system. In this perspective essay, we examine longstanding ideas about equitable food systems through the lens of public plant breeding in the United States. We propose a framework for equitable plant breeding with respect to both its process and outcomes, and we intend for the ideas presented here to cause reflection, discussions, and actions as the plant breeding community seeks greater equity in the food and seed systems our work supports.

Technical Abstract: Plant breeding is central to agriculture, and shifts in plant breeding practices (e.g., hybrid development) and selection goals (e.g., response to synthetic fertilizer) have catalyzed monumental and persistent changes in agricultural production systems of all scales with social, political, economic, and environmental repercussions. While plant breeders are largely trained in the sciences of biology, genetics, and statistics, we posit an ethical imperative to examine the degree of equity with which the benefits of new research and plant varieties are distributed. In the United States, the history of plant breeding parallels the colonial history of agriculture, which compels reflection by current plant breeders about their role in shaping our agricultural system. In this perspective essay, we examine longstanding ideas about equitable food systems through the lens of public plant breeding in the United States. We propose a framework for equitable plant breeding with respect to both its process and outcomes, and we intend for the ideas presented herein to catalyze reflection, discussions, and actions as the plant breeding community seeks greater equity in the food and seed systems our work supports.