b'SeedsofChangeIndependents crusade for fairness in agriculture.Aimee NielsonIN AN INDUSTRYwhere giants loom large, the independ-ent seed sector is at a crossroads of competition and innova-tion. Todd Martin, CEO of the Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA), sheds light on the intricate challenges and potential pathways forward."We\'re at a point where the independent seed industry is under a lot of pressure in the competition arena," Martin explains. "Weve got some very large, multinational corporations that are competing in the same area, but they\'re acting as vendors or suppliers to independent seed companies through licensing of biotechnology traits and underlying crop technologies." He says the past three decades have been good for inno-vation in agriculture since the introduction of biotechnology. However, he explains that as of late, theres been an enormous amount of pressure against these small seed companies.My concern is that the playing field becomes more level, he said. Weve got to be able to see that small companies can compete in an area where they also have a supplier relationship. Martin says this multifaceted competition is not just about market share but also about the survival and independence of smaller entities in the field.On the financial front, Martin highlights a concerning trend where "Farmers and independent companies are paying a signif-icant portion of their revenue in royalties, with about 52% of the value of a bag of seed going to intellectual property royalties." Seed companies have about 7% of the value of that bag of seed that they can count as profit, Martin says. Its a very tight market for an independent seed company. Not only are they paying biotechnology fees and licensing, they are paying genetic fees and licensing, they are paying for seed treatmentsconditioningproduction for that crop and they also pay forTodd Martin, CEO of the Independent their own marketing expenses. So what we are seeing is royaltyProfessional Seed Association12/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2024'