Historical construction of plant breeding: from conventional to participatory

Abstract

In the present work, we seek to point out important elements of farming systems developed by traditional populations, highlighting the beginning of agriculture, the domestication of plants, the construction of plant breeding at the onset of agriculture until the development of modern techniques leading to conventional plant breeding. We highlight the construction of conventional plant breeding associated with the use of chemical inputs and the formation of large oligopolies in the seed chain, involving processes of strong losses of genetic diversity and variability with consequent genetic and cultural erosion. As a counterpoint to this strategy, the participatory plant breeding emerges linked to social issues such as food and environmental security with the minimization of chemical inputs and emphasis to agroecological systems, which are fundamental elements for the adoption of a sustainable agricultural model.