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Riding the Third Wave Implications of Biotechnology for the Canadian Seed Crop Industry
Author(s) -
Leask Bill,
Anderson Robynne
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
canadian journal of agricultural economics/revue canadienne d'agroeconomie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.505
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1744-7976
pISSN - 0008-3976
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7976.1998.tb00971.x
Subject(s) - production (economics) , business , microbiology and biotechnology , germplasm , crop , marketing , agronomy , biology , economics , macroeconomics
Biotechnology is causing dramatic changes in the seed industry on a national and global level. Further, the delivery of technology through seed is affecting all aspects of crop production. Coined the Third Wave of Development, it is a drive to meet specific end use traits through biotechnology. In light of this, the industry is seeing increased integration between all those involved in the chain of production. Adapting to this new environment creates significant challenges for the industry, including regulatory, international, handling, and structural. As the Canadian seed industry changes dramatically to meet the specific needs of end users, there has been an increase in strategic alliances between both handling and seed companies to accommodate identity preserved production. There has also been an increase in mergers and acquisitions, as R&D companies attempt to marry novel trait developments with good germplasm and seed production expertise. Yet, this is only the beginning as the integration of the seed industry with other aspects of the crop inputs sector applies even more pressure to integrate the agri‐food industry right from plant breeding through to end use.