In March 2026, HelEx joined the ADA Occitanie annual seminar on the adaptation of crops to climate change. ADA Occitanie brings together beekeepers, technical advisors and regional authorities in a part of France where sunflower is a major crop and a key resource for apiculture.
Stan Chabert (INRAE) presented how HelEx addresses the dual challenge of adapting sunflower to climate change while maintaining, and where possible improving, its value for pollinators. The talk focused on how breeding, agronomy and ecology can be combined to deliver both yield stability and pollinator support.
For HelEx, participating in regional seminars of this kind is an effective way to reach actors shaping agricultural and apicultural policy at the territorial level, and to make sure the project’s results serve the regions where sunflower is most important.
