Niels Peter Louwaars

Dr. Niels Peter Louwaars is a distinguished expert in seed systems and agricultural policy with over four decades of international experience. He holds a PhD from Wageningen University (2007) with a dissertation on "Seeds of Confusion: the impact of policies on seed systems" and an MSc in Plant Breeding from the same institution. In 2011 he moved from the Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands to serve as Managing Director of Plantum, the Dutch seed sector association. Until January 2025, Dr. Louwaars represented there the seed industry nationally and internationally while supporting key policy dossiers including rights on genetic resources and intellectual property. He remained a visiting fellow of the Law Group of Wageningen University. Dr. Louwaars' expertise spans the intersection of seed sector development, agricultural biodiversity, and policy research, with particular focus on integrated seed supply that bridge formal and farmers’ seed systems. His extensive international career includes advisory roles across Asia, Africa, and Central & Eastern Europe, working with organisations such as the World Bank, FAO, CGIAR centres, and various development agencies. He has held numerous influential positions including board memberships with the European Seed Association, International Society for Horticultural Science, and the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands. His research and policy work emphasizes the whole seed chain from genetic resources through breeding, multiplication and marketing/dissemination to the diversity of farmers and farming systems, and the development of appropriate seed regulatory frameworks.