ETC Group: Global Seed Industry Concentration

[Guest guest]

" ETC Group " <etc

Tue, 6 Sep 2005 15:03:30 -0400

ETC Group: Global Seed Industry Concentration

 

 

 

News Release

ETC Group

5 September 2005

 

Global Seed Industry Concentration - 2005

 

The ETC Group today releases a new Communique on seed industry

consolidation that shows a recent upsurge in seed industry takeovers

and a shake-up in rankings.

 

According to ETC Group, the top 10 multinational seed firms control

half of the world's commercial seed sales. With a total worldwide

market of approximately US$21,000 million per annum, the commercial

seed industry is relatively small compared to the global pesticide

market ($35,400 million), and it's puny compared to pharmaceutical

sales ($466,000 million). But corporate control and ownership of seeds

- the first link in the food chain - has far-reaching implications for

global food security. A single firm, Monsanto, now controls 41% of the

global market share in commercial maize seed, and one-fourth of the

world market in soybean seeds. The same company's seeds and biotech

traits accounted for 88% of the total area planted in genetically

modified seeds worldwide in 2004.

 

ETC Group's report includes a table listing many of the world's top 20

seed companies and their acquisitions and/or subsidiaries.

 

The full text of the 12-page Communique is available free of charge for

download on the ETC Group website: http://www.etcgroup.org

 

IMPACT: With control of seeds and agricultural research held in fewer

hands, the world's food supply is increasingly vulnerable to the whims

of market maneuvers. Corporations make decisions to support the bottom

line and increase shareholder returns - not to insure food security.

Ultimately, seed industry oligopoly also means fewer choices for

farmers. A new study by the US Department of Agriculture examines the

impact of seed industry concentration on agbiotech research. The study

concludes that reduced competition is associated with reduced R & D.

Despite seed industry claims to the contrary, concentration in the seed

industry is resulting in less innovation - not more.

 

PLAYERS: A fistful of transnational firms, the Gene Giants, dominates

global seed sales. Monsanto, Dupont, Syngenta - all among the world's

top-ranking pesticide firms - lead the pack.

 

POLICY: Seed industry concentration is already high on the agenda of

civil society and farmers' organizations that are working to support

and maintain peasant and farmer-controlled seed systems and against

policies and technologies that seek to further privatize seeds. The

implications of seed industry consolidation for food security and

biodiversity must also be urgently addressed by governments at the FAO

biennial Conference in November and by the Conference of the Parties

(COP8) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (20-31 March 2006,

Curitaba, Brazil).

 

 

World's Top 10 Seed Companies + 1

[based on 2004 seed sales (US) millions]

1. Monsanto (US) + Seminis

pro forma = $2,803

2. Dupont/Pioneer (US) $2,600

3. Syngenta (Switzerland) $1,239

4. Groupe Limagrain (France) $1,044

5. KWS AG (Germany) $622

6. Land O' Lakes (US) $538

7. Sakata (Japan) $416

8. Bayer Crop Science (Germany) $387

9. Taikii (Japan) $366

10. DLF-Trifolium (Denmark) $320

11. Delta & Pine Land (US) $315

 

 

For more information, contact:

Hope Shand and Kathy Jo Wetter, ETC Group (USA)

hope/kjo

tel: +1 919 960-5223

Pat Mooney, ETC Group (Canada) etc tel: +1 613 241-2267

Silvia Ribeiro, ETC Group (Mexico) silvia tel: +52 55 55

632 664

Veronica Villa, ETC Group (Mexico) veronica tel: +52 55 55

632 664

 

________________________