French Association of Plant Biotechnologies

The Association française des biotechnologies végétales (AFBV), or French Association of Plant Biotechnologies, is a French non-profit organisation (association loi de 1901) founded in 2009 that promotes plant biotechnologies and their pedagogical popularisation. It was created by seventy founding members at a constitutive general assembly held in Paris on 6 June 2009, declared on 16 June 2009 and published in the Journal officiel on 4 July 2009. The association operates as both an NGO and a lobby in the field of plant biotechnologies. The AFBV argues that plant biotechnologies will help improve agricultural production while making it more ecological, in the context of rising global food demand and climate change. It highlights potential applications in nutrition, energy (biofuels), green chemistry and the environment, and in particular the use of new biotechnologies to improve resistance to diseases and pests in cultivated species and to contribute to reducing the use of plant protection products that are being phased out. The association organises conferences and webinars, publishes an information bulletin (BVI) reserved for members, and issues press releases. Its board of directors has fifteen members and was chaired in 2026 by Thierry Langin, who also chairs the scientific council on an interim basis; Georges Pelletier is honorary president. The AFBV is registered since 2017 in the EU Transparency Register for interest representatives, declaring €1,000 in expenses for that activity in 2017. The AFBV is known for its public communication on GMOs, notably its criticism of the Gilles-Éric Séralini study on NK 603 transgenic maize, and for its engagement with European institutions on new genomic techniques (NGT). Its website publishes editorials, news, events and press releases on these topics.

The Association française des biotechnologies végétales (AFBV) was created by seventy founding members at a constitutive general assembly held in Paris on 6 June 2009. It was declared on 16 June 2009 and published in the Journal officiel on 4 July 2009. The association was established as a non-profit organisation under the French law of 1901 and has since operated as both an NGO and a lobby in the field of plant biotechnologies. From its origins, the AFBV has promoted plant biotechnologies and their pedagogical popularisation. It argues that plant biotechnologies will contribute, in the context of increasing global food demand and climate change, to improving agricultural production while making it more ecological and therefore beneficial to society. It highlights potential applications in nutrition, energy (biofuels), green chemistry and the environment, and in particular the use of new biotechnologies to improve resistance to diseases and pests in cultivated species and to help reduce the use of plant protection products that are being phased out. The association organises conferences and webinars, publishes an information bulletin (BVI) and issues press releases. Its board of directors has fifteen members. In 2026, the board was chaired by Thierry Langin, who also chaired the scientific council on an interim basis; Georges Pelletier was named honorary president. A notable episode in the AFBV's public communication concerned the debate over GMOs. On 4 October 2012, on the sidelines of a conference on biotechnologies, the AFBV strongly criticised the conclusions of Gilles-Éric Séralini's study on the effects of NK 603 transgenic maize on rats. According to the association, the sample size limited to 20 rats could not lead to a valid statistical interpretation, and the Sprague-Dawley rat strain used develops tumours spontaneously with age, which would invalidate the study. The association, which highlighted a Japanese toxicological study on the active substance (glyphosate) of the pesticide used (Roundup) attesting to the molecule's safety, nevertheless advocated improved toxicological tests on transgenic maize. On 31 May 2018, the AFBV disseminated the results of various European and French studies that invalidated Gilles-Éric Séralini's analyses, continuing the Séralini affair. Regarding lobbying activities with European Union institutions, the AFBV has been registered since 2017 in the Transparency Register of interest representatives with the European Commission. It declared €1,000 in expenses for this activity in 2017. In 2026, the AFBV continued its engagement with European policy on new genomic techniques (NGT). Its website published an editorial in June 2026 following the European Parliament's vote on 17 June 2026 validating the NGT regulation, which the association described as opening a new era for European agriculture. The AFBV also responded to the European Commission's call for contributions on the verification of category 1 status and the assessment of category 2 plants, announced its 16th webinar for 4 November 2026, and organised its 2026 conference on 13 October 2026 on how genomic editing can accelerate plant breeding.

• Seventy founding members create the AFBV at a constitutive general assembly in Paris.

• The AFBV is declared.

• The AFBV is published in the Journal officiel.

• AFBV criticises the conclusions of the Séralini study on NK 603 transgenic maize.

• AFBV registers in the EU Transparency Register for interest representatives.

• AFBV disseminates European and French studies invalidating Séralini's analyses.

• European Parliament validates the NGT regulation; AFBV publishes an editorial welcoming the vote.

• AFBV 2026 conference on how genomic editing can accelerate plant breeding.

• AFBV Webinar #16.

Non-profit advocacy and lobbying organisation promoting plant biotechnologies and their role in sustainable agriculture.

• Annual AFBV conference

  A day-long conference on plant biotechnology topics.

• AFBV webinars

  Regular webinars with summaries, videos and speaker CVs.

• BVI information bulletin

  Information bulletin reserved for members.

1. 1AFBV - Association Française des Biotechnologies Végétalesbiotechnologies-vegetales.com
2. 2Wikidata Q2867731wikidata.org
3. 3Association française des biotechnologies végétales - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org