McGovern, Casar Introduce Fair Seeds for Farmers Act to Address Affordability Crisis, Put America’s Farmers and Families Ahead of Billionaire Big Ag Corporations

WASHINGTON-Today, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Congressman Greg Casar (D-TX) introduced the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act, new legislation aimed to break up Big Ag, protect farmers, lower food costs, and strengthen the U.S. food system by curbing corporate abuse of seed patents.

The legislation comes as a small number of giant multinational conglomerates exercise increasing control over the seeds that are vital for planting crops and growing food. These companies use sweeping patent claims and threats of litigation to essentially control what farmers plant and force them to buy expensive products-driving up costs for those that grow food and those who buy it at the grocery store.

"Food is one of the most basic promises we make to one another: that the people who grow it can make a decent living, and the families they feed can afford to eat. But right now, that promise has been broken thanks to billionaire Big Ag conglomerates who are ripping off both the farmers at the beginning of the food chain and the hardworking folks at the end of it," said Congressman Jim McGovern. "We have a system right now in this country where corporate giants are pocketing massive profits-ripping off farmers and in turn ripping off families buying food at the grocery store. It's wrong, and our bill is about starting to change the broken status quo by rebuilding America's food system from the ground up."

"Every working American knows that groceries are just too expensive," said Congressman Greg Casar. "By abusing seed patents, big ag companies are putting family farms out of business and driving up the price of food for everyone else. I'm proud to be working with Rep. McGovern on this new bill, which is a key part of the Progressive Caucus' New Affordability Agenda."

"Seeds are a foundational building block of our food system-and farmers need seeds that are publicly available and adapted to organic and sustainable production in their bioregion. Our food system is at dire risk when seed intellectual property ownership resides with corporations motivated solely by their bottom line. Seed-dominating corporations leverage utility patents to restrict access to innovative and adaptable seed varieties and reduce competition. For decades, RAFI has called for reforms to seed intellectual property law that restore grower sovereignty over seeds. By limiting corporate control over seed and plant intellectual property, the Fair Seeds for Farmers Act will empower seed breeders across the food system to add to the collective biodiversity of seed and develop varieties more resilient to weather, pest, and disease pressures," said Aaron Johnson, Policy Co-Director, Rural Advancement Foundation International.

"The hyperconsolidation and commodification of seeds has eroded farmers' resilience and diminished the agrobiodiversity of crops cultivated in the US at an alarming rate. Farmers play an important role in seed development by nurturing adaptable seed varieties that can help create a more resilient and affordable food system - yet commodification has recently hindered farmers ability to participate in this essential first component of farming. The Fair Seeds for Farmers Act takes an important step in curtailing corporate abuse of US Patent Law and reaffirms farmers and researchers ability to breed, experiment, propagate, and save seeds without fear of retaliation from large seed companies," said Nick Rossi, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Policy Specialist.

The Fair Seeds for Farmers Act is part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus's New Affordability Agenda, a slate of proposals to address the nation's cost-of-living crisis by making essential goods and services cheaper, putting more money back into families' pockets, and taking on wealthy special interests that have rigged the economy against working people. Specifically, the legislation would:

• Limit the patentability of seeds to the protections available under the Plant Variety Protection Act and the Plant Patent Act. The change would apply to pending and future patents while leaving existing patents unaffected.
• Prevent corporate seed companies from restricting farmers and researchers from breeding, experimenting with, propagating, or saving seeds, including through burdensome contracts.
• Define key plant-breeding terms under federal law to protect the integrity of intellectual property claims involving seeds and plants.

By reducing excessive corporate control over seeds, the bill would give farmers greater control over what they grow, protect independent seed companies and public research, and help lower costs at the beginning of the food supply chain.

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