Change is inevitable

The global market for commercial seeds is
estimated to reach $44,944 million for the last
completed harvest (2020). The estimate for the
market CAGR was 3.8% between 2010-2020.
Genetically modified (GM) seeds accounted
for 48% market share in the commercial seed
market, whereas the area reported under GM and
conventional seeds was 19% and 81% of the total
crop plantation area, respectively. Between
2010-2020, CAGR for the GM seed market was 5%,
and the conventional seed market was 3%.
Looking ahead, seed market drivers such as
the growing population and policies around
decarbonization, have led to an increasing
need for organic agriculture and the adaptation
of GM technology to meet these demands.
Understanding who the market leaders are and
what traits are leading the market is a crucial part
of assessing commercial opportunities in order to
gain a competitive advantage.

Seed Market Drivers

Climate change
‒ Climate change and pest pressure is leading to increased demand for
the development of seed technologies, which will directly drive the
demand for seeds with desired characteristics.

Increasing population
‒ Increasing population and rise in demand for food grains is driving demand in the
commercial seed market. As seed alone accounts for 74% of yield gain in crops, it will
always remain a point of focus to meet sustainability goals.
‒ Rising awareness for protein- and vitamin-rich diets across various regions will propel
seed market growth.

Increase in demand for biofuels

‒ An increase in demand for biofuels will increase the production of
crops such as corn, soybean, canola, rice, and wheat.

Policies on organic agriculture & decarbonization

‒ Policies like farm to fork, which focuses on organic agriculture and reduced use of
chemicals, will increase the demand for high-value organic seeds.
‒ Polices like decarbonization will increase the demand for varieties with high yield,
better climate resilience, low water and NPK requirements, will drive the seed industry
growth in the long term.

GM technology in new crops

‒ Adoption of GM technology in new crops eg. HT-wheat in Argentina and Golden Rice
in the Philippines, and possibly the commercialization of GM feed/biofuel crops in e.g.,
China will have a significant positive impact on seed market growth.
‒ Regulatory approval of new gene-editing technologies for breeding will drive
innovation and market growth.
‒ In GMO/transgenic traits Bayer is leading the market. The company’s focus is still on
maize and soybean stacked traits. In maize, the company’s most important product
is short-stature corn, which is a part of Bayer’s strategy to develop sustainable seed
varieties for the future. Bayer is working on developing short-stature corn varieties
for improved plant stability and more precise use of inputs by enabling late-season
applications in various climatic conditions. Bayer is working on development of this
product using various biotechnological methods including transgenics, RNAi, and
gene-editing.

IHS Markit Seed Market Analysis and Data

Get a unique, granular view of the global seed market with comprehensive data on seed varieties,
traits and company data to support long-term strategic planning. Develop robust and effective R&D,
commercial and investment strategies for your organization with our proprietary data on conventional
and genetically modified seed varieties.
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Click here to download a Seed Market Analysis and Data Report