INRA manages a long‐term programme on bread wheat breeding. This programme has recently been renewed within the framework of co‐funded projects with INRA’s subsidiary Agri‐Obtentions. The reasons for this are include a willingness to maintain public expertise on wheat genetics (wheat being considered as a strategic crop in France) and the need to orient varietal breeding toward new objectives, in line with environmental issues concerning reductions in the use of chemicals and greenhouse gas production. One original output of this programme has been the development of varieties adapted to organic farming, which associate multi‐resistance to diseases with an ability to maintain bread‐making quality under low nitrogen availability.