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Do Companies Make Farmers Buy GMO Seeds?

Companies do not force farmers to buy GMO seeds. In fact, in the U.S. and most other agricultural countries, the market for seed sales is open, therefore it is not possible for companies to “force” farmers to buy only one type of seed.

Farmers choose what seeds to grow based on what is best for their farms, market demand and local growing environments.  In fact, there are a wide variety of seed options available to farmers, including organic, hybrid, conventional and genetically modified seeds. Many farmers successfully grow organic, non-GMO, and genetically modified crops on the same farm.

Read more about the benefits of GMOs in modern agriculture.

Brian Scott, an Indiana farmer who grows corn and soybeans, talks about his experience purchasing seed for his farm. He explains:

“I think there is a notion out there among the general public that if farmers like myself buy seed from Monsanto, Dow, Dupont-Pioneer, Syngenta, and others, I’ve suddenly lost choice in the way I run my business. Based on my experience, this is not the case.  I choose what seeds I plant every year.  I’m not locked into buying seed from one company from one season to the next.

In fact, I laid out what a Monsanto tech use agreement looks like on my personal blog.  I even posted the contract I signed so anyone can read it for themselves.  Are there some rules to abide by whenever I sign one of these contracts?  Sure there are.  Do they have a detrimental effect on the way I choose to farm?  I don’t think so.”

See Brian Scott’s full perspective on buying GMO seeds.

Jillian Etress, a high school agriculture teacher and family farmer from South Alabama, also offers her perspective in this post, where she explains that on her farm, they “choose to use or not use GMOs based on the needs of our farm.”

As one of our core principles, GMO Answers and its funders respect farmers' right to choose the seeds that are best for their farms, businesses and communities and providing seed choices that include non-GM seeds based on market demands.