Our seed system is politically brittle.”, “But these challenges also present an opportunity — and as a seed steward, an imperative — to act,” Theresa adds. When it comes to the needs of organic farmers, they’re already underserved because the dominant players invest only in seed technologies and chemical production systems that are in conflict with organic farming practices and principles. Consolidation in the Seed Industry. Consolidation has resulted in the concentration of the industry into fewer, but larger, companies, but overall the number involved in the R&D of new active ingredients is smaller. Close-up of mid adult woman's palm with freshly harvested flower seeds. Consolidation and Intellectual Property Rights in the Seed Industry Patents and Cross-Licensing Seeds, especially genetically modified seeds, are pro-tected by patent law. History shows us that seed industry consolidation leads to less choice and higher prices for farmers. Remember that the organic community has an opportunity to create a much different path for organic seed. Jordan adds it would not be in any business’s best interest to alienate their customers, and their research is completed with the end customer in mind. For growers concerned about competition, Jordan stresses the global competition process is very demanding, and that each country’s regulatory body looks at individual pieces of the combined business and it decides if it is adding or detracting to competition in the marketplace. Two years after genetically engineered (GE) varieties were introduced in 1996, by 1998 the large agribusiness companies had accelerated their consolidation by buying up smaller firms to accumulate more intellectual property (IP) rights. Cargill's intl. This level of concentration has grave impacts for agriculture, including the organic sector. The commercial seed industry has undergone tremendous consolidation in the last 40 years as transnational corporations entered this agricultural sector and acquired or merged with competing firms. New Technology Spurs Consolidation in Seed Industry. seeds gave seed companies new opportunities to explore—and too often exploit—farmer dependency on purchased seed. All rights reserved. Drivers of Consolidation in the Seed Industry and its Consequences for Innovation 14 January 2011 Prepared by: Piet Schenkelaars, Schenkelaars Biotechnology Consultancy Huib de Vriend, LIS Consult Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes, University of Missouri In cooperation with: Alexandre Magnier, University of Missouri Douglas Miller, University of Missouri This report was commissioned by COGEM. Seed Industry Structure Is Characterized by Growth and Consolidation. Consolidation is associated with a number of impacts that constrain the opportunities for renewable agriculture. 1 Mergers and Acquisitions 1996-2008; 2 Articles and resources. “This is not by accident or natural occurrence,” he says. New, experimental genetic engineering techniques are altering food and other products while racing ahead of regulations. Consolidation in the Seed Industry since 2000 www.agbioinvestor.com Tel: +44 131 677 0267 Email: info@agbioinvestor.com Wensman Seeds (2000) Pride Seeds (2001) Producers Hybrids (2005) Dahlco Seeds (2009) Eureka Seeds (2013) Golden Acre Genetics (2015) JV 50:50 (2000) 2018 The Limagrain seed … Copyright © 2000-2020 Puget Consumers Co-op. They put shareholder interests before those of the greater public. Consolidation has increased in the international seed industry in recent decades. Sign up for Organic Seed Alliance’s newsletter with timely policy updates: seedalliance.org. That’s why nine groups, including the Organic Seed Alliance (OSA), submitted petitions signed by 708,000 people urging DOJ and elected officials to block these pending mergers. These companies also aggressively protect their intellectual property rights on seeds, which means less access to important germplasm and less innovation. Consolidation in the Seed Industry. “The changes in the seed industry since 1984, when we began farming, has been one of dramatic consolidation and monopolistic control,” Theresa explains. “At the end of the day, we have to make sure that our business relationships are intact and that we are able to provide the same level of service as we have in the past,” he says. Written on 19 September 2016. This article was originally published in February 2017. “These mega companies, seed companies, are not invested in deliciousness, they're not invested in ecological issues that we need to face in the future.” Close-up of mid adult woman's palm with freshly harvested flower seeds Producing food for a growing population. Tell them that increased consolidation in the seed industry will hurt farmers and the communities they feed. 1 Mergers and Acquisitions 1996-2008; 2 Articles and resources. The costs to introduce new technologies are often so high due to the amount of time it takes to bring products to market. Howard began his annual tracking of seed industry ownership changes in 1998, a year that served as a turning point for industry consolidation. During this same period, the seed industry has experienced rapid consolidation. In 1883, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) formed and immediately lobbied for the cessation of the government programs. At the same time that agrochemical companies were taking over the seed industry, they were also combining into fewer and fewer )rms. 2.1 Related SourceWatch articles; 2.2 References; 2.3 External resources; 2.4 External articles; Mergers and Acquisitions 1996-2008 . Unsurprisingly, this consolidation wave has sparked worries among farmers, policymakers and the broader public, who fear harmful consequences on prices, innovation and product choice. Tony Overwater from Crop Production Services talks about the trends of consolidation “Our seed system is ecologically brittle. This trend is associated with impacts that constrain the opportunities for renewable agriculture, such as reductions in seed lines and a declining prevalence of seed saving. So should our resistance. The commercial seed industry has undergone tremendous consolidation in the last 40 years as transnational corporations entered this agricultural sector, and acquired or merged with competing firms. The growing demand for grains, oils, and vegetables is a significant driver for the seeds market. During this same period, the seed industry has experienced rapid consolidation. And as a non-GM trait, this technology wasn’t as complex as much of current seed trait research. From the archive: organic seed breeder Frank Morton explains the structure and the consolidation in the agricultural seed industry. December 6, 2019. Between 1996 and 2008: BASF acquired: Crop Design; ExSeed. The face of the many large agri-business companies in Canada is changing. The seeds market is projected to register a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period 2020-2025. “This industry has always balanced competition with collaboration. “Our number one principle going forward is no interruption in service. Still, the move is needed and a positive one, say industry … ASTA Statement on Seed Industry Consolidation . “We must take the seed in hand and create alternative systems that provide for ecological, political and economic access to biodiverse and elastic seed systems capable of adapting to a changing climate.”. It will then be up to us to prove to the grower and to consumers how these combined companies will be better for them in the long term.”. What are the consequences and will they be allowed in organics? The commercial seed industry has undergone tremendous consolidation in the last 40 years as transnational corporations entered this agricultural sector and acquired or merged with competing firms. We hope that these merged companies will have the means to invest in research at a more intense level.”, Trish Jordan, public and industry affairs director with Monsanto, agrees. Buy organic seeds at Organic Seed Finder (organicseedfinder.org), Pick A Carrot (pickacarrot.com) and SeedWise (seedwise.com). Whether it be the lack of a competitive market environment for farmers to sell their products or fewer choices in the grocery store, concentration within agribusiness affects us all. Abstract: Intellectual property protections on seeds have increased dramatically in recent decades, from the granting of patent-like protections on certain types of seeds in 1970 to the enforcement of contract provisions for seeds beyond the first sale in 2013. Seeds of Life: Consolidation in the Seed Industry (7-2010) Filed Under: CUPS Videos, Video Interviews Tagged With: alan kapuler, corn, frank morton, hybrids, monopolies, monsanto, seeds of life, soybeans, wild garden seed. Seed Industry Structure 1996 - 2018 Phil Howard, Associate Professor, Michigan State University https://philhoward.net Chemical Companies Zimmerman Seed Companies Other Companies Partial Ownership Full Ownership Sunseeds CropDesign (1995) Roussel-Uclaf Dahlco joint research & development Becker Underwood Kenfeng-KWS Kenfeng Genective GreatLakes CerealGrains … Jan 24, 2020 - Commercial seed industry has transformed dramatically and shifted from a competitive sector of agribusiness, composed primarily of small, family-owned firms, to an industry dominated by a small number of transnational pharmaceutical/chemical corporations. The graphic below shows ownership changes occurring from 1996, when the top three corporations in the global seed industry controlled 22% of the industry, to 2018. Three companies (Monsanto, DuPont and Syngenta) already collectively control more than half the commercial seed market, according to Dr. Philip Howard of Michigan State University, who documents and studies consolidation in food and agricultural markets. Dow and DuPont recently concluded their merger, ChemChina is currently finalizing their purchase of Syngenta and Bayer is working through the regulatory hurdles as part of their acquisition of Monsanto. The global seed industry as it is today began to take shape in the 1990s. 26 The Seed Industry in U.S. Agriculture / AIB-786 Economic Research Service/USDA they sold as seed until the early 1970s.7 Most private seed firms focused primarily on cleaning, handling, storing, packaging, and selling seed developed in the public domain. This trend is associated with impacts that constrain the opportunities for renewable agriculture, such as reductions in seed lines and a declining prevalence of seed saving. Consolidation History As recently as the 1970s, the seed industry was characterized by thousands of small, mostly family-owned companies, says Phil Howard, a Michigan … Contents. This trend is associated with impacts that constrain the opportunities for renewable agriculture, such as reductions in seed lines and a declining prevalence of seed … “While we can’t predict whether there will be another wave of mergers, the current relationships are strong within the industry as each segment solidifies their marketing base,” he says. Enforcement A nu m ber of studi es of consol idation in the seed industry have exam ined trends up unti l the turn of the 21st century [5-12] , but the m ost rece nt, accel erating changes are not as well -chara cterized [13 ,14] . This trend is associated with impacts that constrain the opportunities for renewable agriculture, such as reductions in seed lines and declining prevalence of seed saving ( Howard, 2009 ). Keywords: seed industry; consolidation; concentration; oligopoly; information graphics 1. “It is becoming more and more challenging to bring innovation to market, and companies have to invest heavily to bring new technologies to customers.”. RealAgriculture News Team . DuPont and Dow, and ChemChina and Syngenta, also announced agreements to merge. Consolidation in the Seed Industry since 2000 www.agbioinvestor.com Tel: +44 131 677 0267 Email: info@agbioinvestor.com Wensman Seeds (2000) Pride Seeds (2001) Producers Hybrids (2005) Dahlco Seeds (2009) Eureka Seeds (2013) Golden Acre Genetics (2015) JV 50:50 (2000) 2018 The Limagrain seed … “We don’t have a solution to Fusarium right now and it is possible that solution will come from seed. Jordan says Bayer and Monsanto have very little overlap, and any duplication will be addressed through global regulatory networks in advance of finalizing the deal. September 27, 2016 Updated: September 28, … Weidler says for Bayer and Monsanto, in the short-term growers won’t really see any change as the new business’s number one focus will be on serving their customer. Consolidation has increased in the international seed industry in recent decades. If the Department of Justice (DOJ) allows these three megamergers to move forward, three corporations will own nearly 60 percent of the world’s seed supply. the seed industry. Every month we'll round up a mix of our best features, recipes, news bites and letters in an e-newsletter, along with other great content. "The agriculture industry has seen several big waves of consolidation lately. We all need to speak up in opposition to these mergers while simultaneously working to support policies and programs that expand seed choices for farmers, especially as we head into the next Farm Bill. Measures to Overcome Seed Industry Consolidation One change that would slow consolidation would be greater antitrust enforcement. 2.1 Related SourceWatch articles; 2.2 References; 2.3 External resources; 2.4 External articles; Mergers and Acquisitions 1996-2008. Play Video . More. From SourceWatch. Once a product has been developed, it then requires more money to conduct the number of studies necessary to satisfy the needs of the grower [and] the consumer, and also meet government requirements.”. “This has struck a devastating blow to the biodiversity of our food and agriculture system, drastically eroding and narrowing both the diversity of species in our agricultural landscape and the genetic diversity within those species.”. Visualizing Consolidation in the Global Seed Industry 1996–2018. The dominant seed system is driven by the profit motives of chemical and biotechnology companies that leverage intellectual property rights to their advantage, discouraging farmers from participating in research and seed saving. When you look at specific crop markets, the level of consolidation is even more extreme. Between 2008 and 2013, there were more than 70 seed company acquisitions by the top eight firms. Industry Consolidation 3 years ago - Jennifer Barber. However, recent mergers and takeovers in the global seed industry have attracted much debate in terms of their potential to stifle competition and innovation. As these companies expanded and gained more relevance in a shifting agricultural landscape, a new era of consolidation in the seed industry began. However, there are segments within the market, which are consolidated such as in maize and vegetables. The seed industry is one of the most consolidated in agriculture — and it’s getting worse. THE COMMERCIAL SEED industry has undergone tremendous consolidation in the last 40 years as transnational corporations entered this agricultural sector, and acquired Or merged with competing firms. “These combined companies will need good local seed growers, and as they bring new seed products to market they will be relying on local seed production to even greater levels,” he says. This chart depicts changes in ownership involving major seed companies and their subsidiaries, primarily occurring from 1996 to 2013.1 The largest firms are represented as circles, with size proportional to global commercial seed market share.2 For an article providing more detail on these graphics… Dow and DuPont recently concluded their merger, ChemChina is currently finalizing their purchase of Syngenta and Bayer is working through the regulatory hurdles as part of their acquisition of Monsanto. Bayer announced in September a merger agreement with Monsanto, which will create the world’s largest supplier in seeds and agricultural chemicals. Dow and DuPont recently concluded their merger, ChemChina is currently finalizing their purchase of Syngenta and Bayer is working through the regulatory hurdles as part of their acquisition of Monsanto. CRISPR-Cas can help develop new seeds more quickly for less cost . This continued consolidation is bad news for family farms. It wouldn’t make business sense.”. “We have invested billions in research and development, but not only is science becoming more complex, the regulatory environment can be unpredictable, and that also means more time and more investment,” says Weidler. Intellectual property protections on seeds have increased dramatically in recent decades, from the granting of patent‐like protections on certain types of seeds in 1970 to the enforcement of contract provisions for seeds beyond the first sale in 2013. Seed industry consolidation project preparing for July vote. Organic farmers Theresa and Dan Podoll have witnessed this consolidation firsthand. The seed industry. Seed Industry Structure 1996-2018 Phil Howard Associate Professor Michigan State University . In the decades since then, Gene Giants have used intellectual property laws to commodify the world seed supply – a strategy that aims to control plant germplasm and maximize profits by eliminating Farmers' Rights. This consolidation of the seed industry is cutting down on diversity,” said Barber. The commercial seed industry is no exception. Keywords: seed industry; consolidation; concentration; oligopoly; information graphics 1. “Most growers already have established strong connections with all of these companies and even with consolidation, I don’t see them reducing their levels of service. For example, Monsanto and DuPont control more than 60 percent of the retail market for corn and soybeans alone, and Monsanto is the industry leader in vegetable seed sales as well. lemken.com Diese Kombinationen sind ideal für ganzflächiges Lockern, intensives Mischen, gute Rückverfestigung, verstopfungsfrei es Ablegen un d Andrücken des Saatguts im Boden. While there is a lot of change right now, the agriculture businessplace is not shrinking.”. History shows us that consolidation in the seed industry leads to fewer choices for all farmers, regardless of what they grow and how they grow it. The need for new active ingredients has been demonstrated due to the increasing impact of weed and disease resistance, with insect resistance also a significant factor. Find seed cleaning and retail services offered by ASP member plants. Kiki Hubbard is director of advocacy and communications for the Organic Seed Alliance. This consolidation of the seed industry is cutting down on diversity,” said Barber. Seed Industry Consolidation . In 1883, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) formed and immediately lobbied for the cessation of the government programs. The USDA recently announced its intention to hold joint hearings/public workshops in 2010 to consider antitrust issues in agriculture, first examining the seed industry, followed by beef and dairy. Farmers already were operating within a highly consolidated seed marketplace — even before the announcement of these megamergers — and have been for quite some time. The merger of Dow and DuPont, the acquisition of Syngenta by ChemChina, and the merger of Bayer and Monsanto have recently reshaped the global seed industry. Professor Michigan State University growing demand for grains, oils, seed industry consolidation vegetables ChemChina Syngenta. Details, plus more current food and agriculture reports is projected to register a CAGR of %. 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