Potato breeding in the Netherlands: A successful participatory model with collaboration between farmers and commercial breeders

The potato breeding system in the Netherlands has a long-standing tradition of farmer participation in breeding. This PPB differs from the ‘standard’ PPB model as there is substantial private sector involvement and the system is situated in a modern, western context. This paper describes the current organizational structure and practices, provides some historical background and analyses the functions, relations and interactions of the major actors in the system. While Dutch potato breeding is a special case in various respects, the analysis identifies several key attributes which could inform the design of successful PPB programmes in developing countries.