Bayer recently announced that it will expand its vegetable seeds offerings under the new Vegetables by Bayer umbrella to include organically produced seeds. The launch will focus on certified organic production in three key crops for the greenhouse and glasshouse market: tomato, sweet pepper, and cucumber. Tomato rootstock varieties will follow these in 2023. Varieties will be sold under both the Seminis and De Ruiter vegetable seed brands.
Bayer’s expanded portfolio is in direct response to increased customer need for high-quality organic seed. Global consumer demand for certified organic products continues to grow and is predicted to drive market expansion.
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) estimates that today’s global organic food market is worth more than €106 billion. The global organic food seeds market was valued at US$ 355 million in 2020 and is expected to grow to US$ 480 million by 2025 with a 6.2% CAGR. This increased demand presents a valuable opportunity for many of Bayer‘s vegetable seeds customers to grow their businesses while supporting consumer food choices and promoting access to nutritious fruits and vegetables.
“We serve growers all over the world and believe that they should have the freedom to choose the tools or the practices that best suit the needs of their farms and the needs of their customers,” said Inci Dannenberg, President of Global Vegetable Seeds at Bayer.
He added, “The launch of our certified organic vegetable seeds represents an opportunity to continue to bring our best-in-class varieties and industry-leading disease resistances to growers in the organics market while supporting consumer choice.”
Certification
Ricardo Crisantes, Chief Commercial Officer, Wholesum Family Farms said, “Organic certification standards require us to use certified organic seed where available, and that is what our customers expect too. We are very pleased that Bayer is supporting our market by offering certified organic seed and look forward to having a high-quality selection of De Ruiter seeds for our organic glasshouse production.”
The commercial launch for the new certified organic portfolio is planned for early 2022 and will focus on the high-growth organic markets of Canada, the United States, Mexico, Spain, and Italy, with potential for future expansion based on market demand.
In the meantime, the company is taking all necessary steps to obtain the proper certification at its facilities to prepare for the receiving, processing, storage, and distribution of certified organic seeds. The vegetable seed offerings join Bayer’s non-synthetic crop production and crop protection products, or biologicals, as another critical tool for certified organic growers worldwide.
The announcement comes as the United Nations celebrates the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables in 2021, which aims to raise awareness around ways to promote increased consumption of fruits and vegetables across the value chain.
“Across everything we do, Bayer and our Vegetable Seeds business remain committed to being the partner of choice, providing best-in-class varieties and tailored solutions to support our customers and partners in growing their businesses while providing people around the world with safe, nutritious, and delicious fruits and vegetables,” said Dannenberg.
