When it comes to rose breeding, Dean Rule is a name that consistently stands out. With vast experience in the field, Dean’s insights and expertise offer valuable perspectives on the market and its challenges, not only in roses but across the entire ornamental sector.
Based in Ecuador, Dean has been deeply involved in shaping local Intellectual Property laws and actively engages in international enforcement and lobbying efforts. As a dedicated CIOPORA member, board member and Vice-President, he is a passionate speaker at our conferences, always eager to share his knowledge and experiences.
In this article, Dean discusses the role of CIOPORA in the breeding sector, the challenges facing the ornamental market, and the shifts in consumer behavior following the Covid-19 pandemic.
1.- You are a historical member of our association, having participated actively as a member and also on the board for more than 25 years. How would you describe the role of CIOPORA in your challenges as a rose breeder? How has our association collaborated with E.G.Hill Co. Inc.?
Although we are members of five different associations, CIOPORA is the one that best aligns with our specific needs as a rose breeder. It is the organization that best represents us in our specific business with the support and information in the area of Intellectual Property. For example, there have been many specific challenges in Ecuador where we have our operational base with a problematic law that does not properly defend the breeders and legal growers, and also governmental directives on registration of contracts that does not align with Andean Pact guidelines. The Secretary General of CIOPORA, Dr. Edgar Krieger, personally came to Ecuador and met with key officials to support our position and that of other breeders.
With CIOPORA being active all over the world, in many cases the association can supply the information and backup to lobby on a local level, but each member with local knowledge and contacts can help by lobbying on a local level. As I said in the AGM in Alexandria, Virginia, “Ask not what CIOPORA can do for you, but what you can do for CIOPORA.” While the association represents us before organizations such as UPOV, CPVO, USPTO, etc., we can help provide a local voice for not only our own organization but also the interests of other breeders.
2. During the last year, we have witnessed a decrease in the registration of new ornamental varieties, and CIOPORA has been working with different stakeholders to understand this phenomenon and help our members. From your perspective, what are the main factors contributing to this decline? What role should our association play in this scenario? Could you project or shed some light on the market for cut rose breeders over the next 3-5 years? How important is it to have a robust breeding sector for new varieties for a market like roses?
I think there are several factors that contribute to the decline:
a. The cost of DUS testing and the rest of IP registration costs for PBR for varieties that are not high volume and long lasting the market are too high to justify the investment.
b. The location of DUS testing in certain cases does not match where the bulk of the production is taking place. For example, the main production areas for roses sold in the European, North American (except in Mexico), and Middle Eastern markets are Ecuador, Kenya, Colombia, and Ethiopia. The DUS testing for cut roses is in the Netherlands where the production area is probably now less than 2% of the total of the previous four countries. No one doubts the expertise of the current location, but the costs of doing the testing in high-tech, environmentally controlled greenhouses with high energy, infrastructure, and labour costs means that in many cases only certain commercial varieties will go through the needed DUS tests. Just as breeders, in many cases, need to breed under the growing conditions of the majority of their grower clients, DUS testing should follow the breeders. CIOPORA plays a significant role in getting less developed countries awareness of proper breeder protection. In many cases, these countries have less respect for intellectual property and may not distinguish between food crops for local consumption and the types of flowers and fruit represented by CIOPORA.
c. Although there has been a stabilization in the market with a drop from the peak, we have new consumers. The conversion of more people buying on a regular basis opens the door for a greater diversity of roses and other flowers. There is a real challenge in making sure that we reach younger people as consumers.
3.- Many of our members were fascinated by your presentations at the AGM, among other things, because of your ability to consider factors that go beyond what is obvious for the plant breeders' business. In that line, what factors will influence the business of new plant varieties? What was the impact of the coronavirus on our industry? How do you see consumer behavior? What do you think will be the role of our association in this new scenario?
Once the initial problems of flower and plant production and also logistics were basically resolved at the start of the Covid pandemic, sales of cut roses and other flowers increased. With movement restricted and a significant increase in working from home, the enjoyment of having fresh flowers to enjoy seven days a week caused sales to increase. As mentioned in the previous question, in many cases, sales have increased from the levels before Covid 19 but have dropped from the peak. For example, with travel restrictions, many sent flowers for Mother’s Day in 2020 and 2021 when travel was restricted but then went back to visiting instead of sending flowers. Summer vacation travel has replaced some of the home gardening that boomed during the pandemic.
Proper protection of plant breeder’s rights is crucial to profitability. Profitability is vital to continued innovation. CIOPORA is at the core of helping each of us as breeders have the tools and legal frameworks to protect our innovations. At the same time, we as breeders need to both be sensitive to trends and provide new varieties that consumers did not even imagine exist. The example of Apple is a company that has come up with products that did not exist and created demand for things people where not even looking for before they were presented to them. Can we do the same?
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