Four firms control more than half of the world’s seed supply. Italian farmers are fighting back and returning to the bartering system

Four agrochemical companies—Bayer, Corteva, Syngenta, and BASF—control over half of the world’s seed supply and significant portions of its pesticide market. In response to this corporate control, an Italian farming network launched a project teaching members how to save, trade, and pass down seeds free of patents or genetic modification. The concentrated industry share has prompted discussion regarding antitrust concerns.