Malin Nilsson reflects on taking over as secretary general of SVUF, the distinctive needs of Sweden’s seed sector, and the European policy issues shaping plant breeding, farm saved seed and variety protection.
The post Malin Nilsson Takes the Lead at Sweden’s SVUF appeared first on Seed World.
From farm saved seed and Nordic breeding to NGTs and EU policy, Malin Nilsson discusses the priorities shaping her mandate and Swedish agriculture.
When Malin Nilsson joined Svalöf Weibull in 2001, the Swedish Seed Trade Association, SVUF, was already part of her professional surroundings. Quite literally, in fact: the association had its offices on the Svalöf Weibull premises.
Over the years, Nilsson worked with many of the same subjects that occupied the association, including variety licensing, royalties, plant variety rights, variety listing and farm saved seed. She also worked alongside successive SVUF secretary generals, first through her company roles and now, 25 years after entering the seed sector, as the person leading the association herself.
Her arrival comes under unusual circumstances. Her predecessor, Per Henriksson, passed away suddenly, leaving no opportunity for a handover. Nilsson has therefore spent her first months both rebuilding some of the practical knowledge needed to run the association and looking towards a period in which major European policy files, including new genomic techniques, plant reproductive material and the Community Plant Variety Rights system, are moving forward.
Seed World Europe spoke with Nilsson about the experiences that shaped her, the particular characteristics of Swedish seed production and breeding, the importance of smaller countries having a voice in European policymaking and why one long discussed improvement to Sweden’s farm saved seed system would carry a special significance.
A Circle 25 Years in the Making
Seed World Europe: Malin, congratulations on becoming the secretary general of SVUF. What does this new responsibility mean to you personally, and what attracted you to step into this role at this moment in your career?
Malin Nilsson: SVUF has always been there in one way or another. For me personally, this responsibility is a kind of closing the circle, starting all the way back when I joined Svalöf Weibull in 2001.
SVUF had its offices at the Svalöf Weibull premises. Folke Sjöberg, the secretary general at that time, was a very low key, kind person, though I know that he managed the quite tough discussions with farmers, explaining the farm saved seed system that had recently been introduced.
I worked with the international part of the business and, more specifically, I got to learn right from the start about variety licensing and contracts.
With that, I automatically became acquainted with the concept and practical implementation of royalties, PVR and variety listing, and increasingly also with farm saved seed royalty collection systems.
My nearest colleague and mentor, Jan Erik Fridell, took over SVUF after Folke’s retirement. After his retirement, Per Henriksson took over and ran the operations until his tragic and sudden passing.
I was Per’s counterpart at SW Seed and later Lantmännen. I worked at company level with the topics that Per managed for the SVUF membership.
I’ve always enjoyed working on topics that require a high level of understanding of the context and how things are connected.
When I then get to use that knowledge to support others and bring the business forward, that’s where it gets really exciting.
An Interdependent and International Sector
Seed World Europe: Many in the European seed sector know you from your time at Svalöf Weibull, Lantmännen and DSV. Looking back at your journey so far, what have been the defining experiences that shaped your perspective on the seed sector?
Nilsson: I think that realising how closely connected and interdependent everyone is in the plant breeding and seed sector has been a defining experience.
Regardless of company size, whether it is a multinational, a small family company or a public institution, they all have the same basic needs in their operations. They need access to genetic resources, a level playing field, clear rules and regulations and the possibility of getting a return on their investment.
But there is also the global nature of the sector, getting together with people from all over the world. I think we’re truly privileged in so many ways to have that cultural exchange.
And I mustn’t forget to mention the people in this sector. Obviously, I don’t have another sector to compare it with, but the warmth, friendliness and willingness to share knowledge and experiences are something that I find quite unique. That feeling is as strong today as it was 25 years ago.
Breeding for Northern Conditions
Seed World Europe: For those outside Sweden, what makes the Swedish seed sector distinctive? And where do you see its greatest strengths, and its most pressing challenges, in the coming years?
Nilsson: Sweden is a very large country geographically in relation to its population. Agriculture is centred in the south and along the coasts.
The north to south stretch of the country results in quite different prerequisites for agriculture. The further north you go, the colder the winter, the shorter the vegetation season and the more light there is in summer.
Because of the long day conditions during summer, short cycle varieties are not automatically suitable, which is one of the reasons why it is crucial to maintain breeding in the Nordic countries.
Breeding activities are, however, limited. There is only one commercial breeding company of scale left in the country and varieties from other, primarily northern and western European breeders, are therefore well represented in the Swedish market.
Regarding seed production, the main crops are cereals, potatoes and forage crops.
But generally speaking, I don’t believe that the main challenges for the Swedish seed sector are very different from those in other countries. How do we attract young people to our sector? How many farmers will there be left in the future? What will the medium and long term consequences of global warming and a changing climate be?
When, or if, climate change makes agriculture move further north, what will that mean for breeding for northern Europe and our long day conditions? How will the introduction of NGT 1 plants under the new EU framework affect the sector? How do we secure long term breeding for our conditions?
Then there is the preparedness perspective. In recent years, our government has been determined to increase self-sufficiency both in grains and seeds. I am not that well updated on the topic, but there are different projects for stockpiling grains, and seed will also be looked into in terms of preparedness and self-sufficiency.
Getting SVUF Fully Up and Running
Seed World Europe: As Secretary General of SVUF, what will be your main priorities in the first phase of your mandate? And how do you see the role of the Swedish seed sector within the broader European policy landscape?
Nilsson: Given that there was no transfer of tasks and responsibilities, my focus during these first six months has been to get the association fully up and running again.
I need to get acquainted with the details of how the collection system is set up in practice, find out who the major contact persons were, for example at the ministry, agricultural university or other official bodies in Sweden, and also get to know the association members and understand their wishes and concerns.
Before I started, I thought about how slow policymaking can be and jokingly assumed that not all that much would have happened since I was last involved, so it ought not to be all too hard to get up to speed on the different topics.
But indeed, there is so much going on right now, and these are really exciting times. There are the NGT and PRM regulations, the review of CPVR and the role of the CPVO. The time and work required to feel secure on those topics shouldn’t be underestimated.
I truly believe it is important also for smaller EU members, such as Sweden, to try to make our voice heard in policymaking.
We’ll never have resources comparable to larger countries, but we can at least take part, listen and work together with other countries, such as Finland and Denmark. Being a small country, I suppose we’re also closer to our policymakers than others, and that can be an advantage.
Carrying Per Henriksson’s Work Forward
Seed World Europe: Your predecessor, Per Henriksson, was widely respected and deeply appreciated across the seed sector. How do you reflect on his legacy, and what would you like to carry forward, or perhaps approach differently, as you shape the next chapter for SVUF?
Nilsson: It is an odd situation, for good and for bad. Because of Per’s sudden absence, in a way I have to reinvent a system that has run smoothly for many years. On the other hand, whether or not there had been a planned successor, I still would have had to find my own way. Now it has just been more complicated.
Per at the time took over a well maintained and established FSS royalty collection system. He made improvements and fine tuning in the running of the system and, thanks to that, was also able to invest more time in other topics of importance to the members.
He became the natural speaking partner for Swedish governmental bodies on questions with an impact on plant breeding and seed companies, while similarly representing the Swedish perspective at EU and international level.
I see no reason to have a different ambition for my work with the association.
The way the association was founded, the core activity is, and will continue to be, the collection of fees for the use of FSS, and my ambition is to continue improving the system. Perhaps some parts can be further strengthened once the review of the CPVR is finalised and an updated regulation is implemented.
There is no reason to put work on hold until then. To mention one concrete example, my largest wish is to introduce the possibility for farmers to report use of FSS in the single payment application tool.
This is something that has been discussed for a long time with the farmers’ association and with the authorities. Indeed, when Seed World Europe profiled SVUF during Henriksson’s tenure in 2017, improving access to information through Sweden’s single payment system was already among the issues facing the association.
It would be a tremendous tribute to Per’s work if I managed to finally make that happen in Sweden.
Final Thoughts
For Nilsson, taking charge of SVUF therefore represents both continuity and change. The subjects that first introduced her to the association more than two decades ago remain central to its work, but they now sit alongside new questions about breeding technology, climate, agricultural preparedness and Europe’s evolving regulatory landscape.
And after a career spent working on many of those issues from the company side of the table, the circle has indeed closed. Nilsson is now the person charged with helping Sweden’s plant breeding and seed community navigate what comes next.
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