But there are provisos, firstly that those who farm the land are treated with dignity and allowed to continue farming without being expelled by those with more muscle, that the land itself is not overstressed and finally that they are not tied to one patented crop or crop protection system unless they are able to make a fair living from the relationship.

There are other issues bigger than seed producer and farmers:trade and tariffs these also need to be fair to all and transparent.

If you compare corn production in Iowa to corn production in Africa, the possibilities of improving yields in Africa completely overshadow what might be done in Iowa.

In Iowa, a five percent increase in corn production would be viewed as a breakthrough–as it has been, with the advent of GM crops.

In South Africa and the Philippines, GM corn has led to self-sufficiency in a way their farmers scarcely could imagine. In Brazil, GM soy has made the nation an exporting powerhouse. India has become a net exporter, rather than importer, of cotton–because of GM pest resistance.