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Competition

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Concentration in Seed Markets

Potential Effects and Policy Responses

Recent mergers in the seed industry have led to concerns about market concentration and its potential effects on prices, product choice, and innovation. This study provides new and detailed empirical evidence on the degree of market concentration in seed and GM technology across a broad range of crops and countries, and analyses the causes and potential effects of concentration. It also explains how competition authorities have responded to mergers, and suggests policy options to help safeguard and stimulate competition and innovation in plant breeding by avoiding unnecessary regulatory barriers, by facilitating access to genetic resources and intellectual property, as well as by stimulating public and private R&D. As this study shows, policy makers have several levers besides competition policy to ensure an innovative and competitive seed industry.

Published on December 04, 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword
Acronyms and abbreviations
Executive summary
Introduction
An overview of global seed markets
Structural changes in the seed industry
Theory and evidence on the potential effects of mergers
New evidence on market concentration
New evidence on the effects of concentration in seed markets
Policy responses
Final remarks
References
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