Ankeny, Iowa, USA
March 12, 2010
U.S. farmers take their responsibility of feeding the world very seriously. Technology advancements must continue to be made to meet growing global food demand. Therefore, uncertainty in the seed trait industry must be cleared up as soon as possible.
Ray Gaesser, a corn and soybean farmer from near Corning, Iowa, participated in a panel discussion addressing the competitive dynamics of the seed industry during a March 12 workshop in Ankeny. The workshop, which explored competitive issues in agriculture, was hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Gaesser serves on the board of the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and is a former president of the association. He is also an American Soybean Association vice president.
“There is uncertainty in the areas of licensing agreements, registration issues and future traits, both domestically and globally. We need a system for maintaining international regulatory approvals post patent in order to assure critical export markets aren’t jeopardized when a patent expires, so plant breeders can be confident in improving the yield potential of the Roundup Ready 1 trait,” says Gaesser. “As a farmer with a family business here in Iowa, I am concerned that this industry uncertainty will result in stifled innovation, reducing U.S. farmers’ ability to compete in a global marketplace. Future traits will benefit farmers and consumers alike. For example, soybeans will soon be the source of a variety of heart healthy oils.”
While there will be new seed technologies available to farmers in the future, Gaesser expresses concern about preserving the investments farmers have made in Roundup Ready 1 technology, which will soon go off patent. Even though Monsanto offers Roundup Ready 2 Yield technology, Gaesser believes farmers should be able to capitalize on the generic technology to benefit from a decade of investments (via technology fees) in this trait, which he estimates at $700 million investment per year in the United States alone.
“Looking to the future, we believe a model should be established that will ensure the smooth adoption of future traits,” says Gaesser. “But most importantly, U.S. farmers take their responsibility of feeding the world very seriously. Technology advancements must continue to be made to meet growing global food demand.”
Gaesser and ISA would prefer the industry solve its problems on its own, with public guidance if private solutions are not possible.
“We ask that the seed trait industry support innovation by protecting patent rights, support farmers by making the generic Roundup Ready 1 trait available after patent expiration, and support consumers by safeguarding existing domestic production resources and encouraging competition for future innovation,” Gaesser concludes.
To learn more about ISA, visit its Web site at www.iasoybeans.com.
The Iowa Soybean Association develops policies and programs that help farmers expand profit opportunities while promoting environmentally sensitive production using the soybean checkoff and other resources. The Association is governed by an elected volunteer board of 21 farmers.
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