Speaking at AFBV’s workshop, Christiane Lambert, FNSEA Vice President, and Jean-Christophe Gouache of Limagrain reminded participants that France’s seed sector is leading in Europe, with a €2.5 billion turnover (of which €1 billion in exports). During the panel discussion Olivier Lucas of UFS requested that varieties obtained through new breeding techniques (“NBTs”) be exempt from GMO classification, while AFBV President Georges Pelletier emphasized that plant biotechnologies coupled with knowledge of the genes of interest could speed up variety development and increased yields. He warned that since 1995 there has been stagnation in yield increase due to climatic effects. Finally, AFBV called upon developed countries to spend $1 billion in research in each of the next 10 years in the field of abiotic stress (heat and drought tolerance).