Hello and welcome everyone to this online conversation hosted by the European Centre for International Political Economy

on the economic and broader societal value of intellectual property or IP for the EU and its member states.

My name is Jackie Davis and today I'm very pleased to welcome Olivier de Matos to this conversation.

Olivier is Director-General of Crop Life Europe, which represents the sustainable crop protection solution sector,

an industry vital to help deliver a more sustainable agricultural sector and food system, and thus contribute to meeting the objectives of the European Green Deal.

So it's great to have you with us, Olivier, to discuss the role of IP in fostering those innovations, and in particular how to realise the full benefits of intellectual property rights in EU free trade agreements, the subject of the recent E-Sype study we're discussing in these podcasts.

Olivier, let me just start with a very basic question. I know that constant innovation is really important to a sector like yours

if we are to achieve this green transition. But can you just tell me a little bit more about

the key drivers for that innovation in your sector? And specifically, what role does IP play in that?

Hi, Jackie. And first of all, thank you for the invitation. It's really a pleasure being with you today.

That's a very good question. Indeed, I mean, the European Green Deal provides us with an opportunity to deliver more sustainable agriculture and to strengthen food security.

And we want to contribute to the green transition and promote the competitiveness of your agriculture.

We are operating a globalized food system, so we also have to take this into account.

And our key driver is to support sustainable agriculture around the world and provide

the largest toolbox of solutions for farmers. We're talking about biopesticides, plant

biotechnology, but also conventional applications and precision farming, for example.

And that holistic approach of toolbox will allow farmers to choose the production model they want to use,

knowing that it's safe for the environment, for consumer, but also for themselves.

In all that, intellectual property is a key driver too. And plant protection

and crop protection science are among the most research-intensive industries. And innovation

needs to be encouraged, supported and protected. And that's the only way. So only through

effective protection of R&D investments,

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