USDA Launches State Partnership, Announces Farmer Seed Liaison to Address Agriculture Competition

On July 19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a partnership with attorneys general in 31 states and the District of Columbia to enhance competition and protect consumers in food and agricultural markets. The new partnership is intended to assist state attorneys general in tackling anticompetitive market structures in agriculture and related industries. This latest move builds on the “whole of government” approach outlined in President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. 

Additionally, USDA announced the formal establishment of the Farmer Seed Liaison initiative, launched in March following the publication of the report, More and Better Choices for Farmers: Promoting Fair Competition and Innovation in Seeds and Other Agricultural Inputs. As part of the Farmer Seed Liaison efforts, USDA announced the launch of a new web resource to simplify access to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) pending docket of plant patents and plant breeding-related utility patents. You can sign-up to receive Seed Sower, the Farmer Seed Liaison newsletter with information about ongoing activities of the Farmer Seed Liaison initiative.