Chapter 11. Conclusion: major findings and discussion

Hybrid breeding may revolutionise the potato world, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The major impact will be on yield in remote and challenging agro-environments. We expect that hybrid breeding will increase the turnover of varieties in those environments when new seed systems based on hybrid true potato seed have been established. With faster breeding and multiplication systems, it is possible to produce clean seed and to respond to climate change as well as rapidly changing market and societal needs. For this revolution to happen, the potato production system (of both seed and ware) needs to be radically changed and such changes are not easy to orchestrate. During the introduction of such a potentially disruptive innovative technology, many actors, stakeholders and institutions play a significant role and each of these parties has its own objectives, interests, and concerns. This concluding chapter aims to answer the question how such a radical innovation can be steered in a societally responsible manner to realise global food security and sustainability in potato production. To guide and coordinate the system innovations triggered by the potential of hybrid potato breeding, strong public-private partnerships are required in different links of the potato value chain.