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Bergerac Seed & Breeding
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Nearly a century of variety breeding in Bergerac.

For nearly a century, Bergerac has been a reference territory for tobacco variety research. As early as 1927, a research centre was established to support the development of French tobacco growing and to improve the agronomic performance of the varieties under cultivation.

Consulting the Bergerac Seed & Breeding tobacco genetic collection

From 1927 to today.

Over the decades, the breeding teams built one of the richest tobacco genetic collections in Europe and developed recognised expertise across every major type grown worldwide.

In 2015, Bergerac Seed & Breeding was created to ensure the continuity of this historic variety breeding activity. The company thus became the French breeder specialising in the creation of tobacco varieties and the production of certified seed.

Today, BSB is owned by French tobacco growers through the CRMAPT. This governance guarantees a long-term vision, centred on innovation, genetic quality and the sustainable development of agricultural sectors.

Since 2024, this historic expertise has also been applied to developing new industrial hemp (monoecious) and floral hemp (feminised dioecious) varieties, opening a new chapter in the company’s history.

Archive record taken from a drawer of the genetic collection
  1. 1927

    Bergerac Tobacco Institute established

  2. 2015

    Bergerac Seed & Breeding founded

  3. 2024

    Industrial and floral hemp programme opened

Ten specialists, from breeding to delivery.

At BSB, researchers, breeders, technicians, seed production specialists and quality experts work daily to develop the varieties of tomorrow. This complementarity allows us to support our partners from variety creation through to seed commercialisation and crop establishment.

Olivier Riedinger, Managing Director

Olivier Riedinger

Managing Director

Anna Malpica, Site Manager, Bergerac · Head of Variety Breeding & Seed Operations

Anna Malpica

Site Manager, Bergerac · Head of Variety Breeding & Seed Operations

Kim Welkers, Sales and logistics assistant

Kim Welkers

Sales and logistics assistant

Julie L’Humeau, Breeding technician

Julie L’Humeau

Breeding technician

Wanda Wauthier, Assistant variety breeding technician

Wanda Wauthier

Assistant variety breeding technician

Sonia Condemine, Chemistry and plant pathology technician

Sonia Condemine

Chemistry and plant pathology technician

Christophe Decorps, Seed production and molecular biology technician

Christophe Decorps

Seed production and molecular biology technician

Nicolas François, Seed production and agronomy technician

Nicolas François

Seed production and agronomy technician

Pascal Delord, Maintenance and safety officer

Pascal Delord

Maintenance and safety officer

Alain Pradeau, Farm worker

Alain Pradeau

Farm worker

Bergerac, historic home of French tobacco.

Based in Bergerac, at the heart of a territory historically tied to tobacco growing, BSB benefits from a unique environment combining agricultural tradition, seed expertise and scientific excellence. This location allows us to maintain close proximity with growers while developing international collaborations in more than forty countries.

Tobacco plots in the Bergerac landscape
Trial plot with bagged inflorescences to control crosses

Four guarantees, checked lot by lot.

Quality

Certified quality

Quality is central to everything we produce. Every seed lot undergoes rigorous checks guaranteeing varietal identity, specific purity, germination capacity and compliance with international standards. Our tobacco seeds are Low Converter™ certified, while our hemp seeds are produced and certified under the SEMAE and SOC frameworks, giving our customers guarantees of quality, reliability and performance.

Traceability

Traceability mastered from field to customer

We ensure full traceability of our seed throughout its production cycle. Every lot is tracked from the multiplication fields through to packaging, storage and final delivery. This control over the production chain guarantees complete transparency, facilitates quality checks and meets the requirements of international markets as well as our partners’ specifications.

GMO control

Conventional production, guaranteed GMO-free

All our breeding programmes rely exclusively on conventional variety breeding methods. All our production is conducted under strict protocols guaranteeing the absence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), in accordance with the regulations in force and the expectations of the agricultural and industrial sectors. Appropriate checks are carried out systematically to ensure that seed complies with our customers’ specific requirements.

International flexibility

A partner serving international supply chains

Varieties developed by Bergerac Seed & Breeding are grown in many countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Thanks to our international expertise, we support growers, manufacturers, seed companies and research institutes in varied agronomic, climatic and regulatory environments. Our human-scale organisation allows us to offer responsive, personalised support adapted to the specifics of each project.

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In the press.