The Magnitude and Impacts of the Biotech and Organic Seed Price Premiums
December 2009
Author(s): Charles Benbrook, PhD
Chief Scientist
The Organic Center
In recent years the price of genetically engineered corn, soybean, and
cotton seed has risen sharply. Seed expenditures per acre are now
cutting into net farm income, and transferring earnings that used to
stay on the farm to the seed industry.
The magnitude of the biotech and organic seed price premiums are
contrasted, and impacts on gross and net farm income are estimated.
Surprisingly, the biotech seed price premium is much larger than the
organic seed price premium, despite the major differences in the value
embedded in each.