The Seed Market: A Tale of Scale, GMOs, and Global Disparity

The global seed market, valued at $40-50 billion annually, is a powerhouse driving agriculture, yet it’s deeply divided.^1 Multinational giants like Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, and BASF control roughly 60% of this market, with research budgets dwarfing those of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.^2 Meanwhile, thousands of small producers worldwide focus on organic and heirloom seeds, preserving biodiversity amid corporate dominance. In Canada, this tension plays out uniquely, with GMOs like canola shaping the Prairie provinces’ landscape.

Economically, the market thrives on innovation, boasting a 5-7% CAGR.^3 Multinationals push high-yield seeds, while small producers offer sustainable alternatives. GMOs dominate key crops—85-95% of soybeans, corn, and cotton in North and South America are genetically engineered, and globally, 70-80% of these seeds are GM.^4 In Canada, GM canola is widespread, reflecting U.S. trends where adoption exceeds 90%.^5 Yet, herbicide tolerance has spawned resistant “superweeds,” escalating costs for farmers.

In Canada, the 2004 Monsanto vs. Schmeiser case highlighted GMO legalities. Percy Schmeiser faced Monsanto after Roundup Ready canola cross-pollinated his fields. The Supreme Court ruled he infringed Monsanto’s patent, but he avoided damages since he didn’t profit.^6 Post-case, Monsanto pledged not to sue Canadian farmers over trace contamination, a leniency not mirrored elsewhere.^7

Vandana Shiva’s Fight Against GMOs

7 GMO Myths Debunked by Vandana Shiva - North Atlantic Books

Indian environmentalist Vandana Shiva has waged a decades-long battle against GMOs, founding Navdanya in 1991 to protect native seeds and resist corporate control. Viewing GMOs as tools of a “poison cartel,” she challenged Monsanto in 1999, taking it to India’s Supreme Court for introducing GM cotton without approval. Shiva links Bt cotton to ecological harm and farmer suicides, arguing it traps farmers in debt and destroys biodiversity. Her activism, including establishing over 100 seed banks, champions seed sovereignty against patented GM varieties, earning her global acclaim and criticism.^13

Contrast this with South America and India, where Monsanto’s enforcement has devastated farmers. In Brazil, a 2009 lawsuit by the Passo Fundo rural union challenged Monsanto’s soybean royalties. Monsanto’s 2019 victory secured $7.7 billion, bankrupting many farmers.^8 Soybean grower Luiz Fernando Benincá called Monsanto “amoral,” reflecting their despair.^9 In India, Monsanto’s Bt cotton monopoly—95% of the market—drove 300,000 farmer suicides from 1995-2013, worsened by a 2019 court ruling upholding patents.^10^11^12

The legal landscape underscores this disparity. Companies patent genetic sequences, wielding power over farmers globally. In Canada, mitigation like buffer zones offers some protection, but in South America and India, cross-pollination and enforcement have crushed autonomy, often leaving farmers destitute.

Conclusion

We must support local farmers and seed producers who safeguard diversity and resilience. Avoiding GMO produce in grocery stores is critical to reject the ecological risks and corporate greed that have ruined lives in Brazil and India. Choosing non-GMO and backing small-scale seed savers empowers sustainable agriculture and protects our future, one seed at a time.

Endnotes

1. Grand View Research. (2023). Seed market size, share & trends analysis report. https://www.grandviewresearch.com

   
   

2. Howard, P. H. (2015). Intellectual property and consolidation in the seed industry. Crop Science, 55(6), 2489-2495. https://doi.org/10.2135/cropsci2015.02.0089

   
   

3. MarketsandMarkets. (2023). Seeds market - global forecast to 2028. https://www.marketsandmarkets.com

   International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. (2020). Global status of commercialized biotech/GM crops: 2019. https://www.isaaa.org

   
   

4. United States Department of Agriculture. (2023). Adoption of genetically engineered crops in the U.S. https://www.ers.usda.gov

   
   

5. Supreme Court of Canada. (2004). Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser, [2004] 1 S.C.R. 902. https://scc-csc.lexum.com

   
   

6. Monsanto Company. (2005). Commitment on trace contamination. [Press release].

   Reuters. (2019, June 10). Brazil soy farmers win $7.7 bln settlement with Monsanto over Roundup Ready dispute. https://www.reuters.com

   
   

7. Benincá, L. F. (2019). Personal interview cited in Folha de S.Paulo. https://www.folha.uol.com.br

   Shiva, V. (2016). The violence of the green revolution. Zed Books.

   
   

8. National Crime Records Bureau. (2014). Accidental deaths & suicides in India 2013. Government of India.

   Supreme Court of India. (2019). Monsanto Technology LLC v. Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd., Civil Appeal No. 4616 of 2018. https://indiankanoon.org

   
   

9. Shiva, V. (2023, April 28). Fighting giants: Eco-activist Vandana Shiva on her battle against GM multinationals. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com