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