As the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) was concluding its annual seed research conference and trade show in Chicago last week, word came that arrests had been made in two separate conspiracies to steal seed and trade secrets of U.S. companies.

ASTA president and CEO Andy LaVigne says they were pleased that the U.S. government took swift action on a very serious offense. “It’s like stealing anyone’s intellectual property,” said LaVigne. “This is a product or seed varieties and technology that companies have put many years into research and development, getting it approved through the regulatory system and bringing it into the market for use by farmers.”

LaVigne stresses that while the suspects in the cases are Chinese nationals, the U.S. has a good relationship with the country of China. “Our understanding at this point in time is this is one company looking at doing this that has Chinese backing, not the government, not other companies that we have been dealing with,” he said. “We are thinking this is just a single incident.” Interview with ASTA president and CEO Andy LaVigne

Arrests were made in two different cases last week. A Chinese national working for the Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group Company was charged with allegedly stealing inbred corn seed from production fields in Iowa and Illinois. In the second case, two Chinese scientists were arrested in Kansas after an incident in August when customs officials found stolen seeds in the luggage of Chinese delegation members who had visited the United States.