Monopolizing The Harvest: Corporate Influence and Regulatory Gaps in Global Seed Governance

By: Mia Mahmudur Rahim

PDF: Monopolizing The Harvest

This Article critically examines the growing dominance of multinational corporations in the global seed and agrochemical sectors and their far-reaching implications for food security, agricultural biodiversity, and environmental sustainability. Through a detailed analysis of market consolidation, intellectual property regimes, and technological dependencies, this Article reveals how a handful of corporations have come to control the majority of commercial seed and agrochemical markets, fundamentally reshaping global food governance. The Article interrogates claims of corporate stewardship, exposing tensions between profit motives and genuine biodiversity conservation, as well as issues of epistemic injustice and democratic deficits in seed governance. It further assesses the environmental sustainability practices of leading industry players—including, Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, and BASF—highlighting significant discrepancies between their sustainability rhetoric and operational realities. The analysis extends to the fragmented global regulatory landscape, encompassing international treaties, regional frameworks, and the rise of private governance, which collectively prioritize corporate interests over public and ecological welfare. Ultimately, the Article calls for transformative reforms grounded in food sovereignty, democratic participation, and agroecological principles.