SEEDS STUDY

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The process of concentration in the EU seed market
The European Union seed sector has also undergone a concentration process, demonstrated by the acquisition
of independent companies operating in the EU by a few large groups over the last 20 years. Smaller companies
were bought up both by European and non-European seed giants in close collaboration - or even directly including
- agro-chemical companies, in line with the concentration process occurring at the international level. The best
examples of acquisitions are the cases of Limagrain buying up Nickerson in 1990, then Bayer buying up Nuhmens
in 2002, and Monsanto acquiring Seminis in 2005 and De Ruiter in 200831. These cases all concerned plant
breeding companies with a large market in the EU.
While those cases are easy to track because they were announced on the websites of the companies, others
are hidden behind a complex web of acquisitions and distribution strategies. Further examination of the partners
of Seminis and De Ruiter Seeds shows that the company Volmary/Nebelung is mentioned as a trading partner.
Volmary/Nebelung owns the garden seed brands Sperli and Kiepenkerl, which were independent companies
until a few years ago, and are well-known to hobby gardeners. Volmary/Nebelung therefore sells Monsanto’s
and other companies’ seeds without customers being able to know the origin of the seeds they are buying and
who controls them. At the same time, very few open-pollinated varieties are now offered through these two
brands, despite the fact that until only a few years ago, Kiepenkerl and Sperli offered both hybrids and open-
pollinated varieties32.
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