GEOFF COLVIN from Fortune magazine is always out in front of the economic trends that are driving business change and competition. This link to his piece in the latest issue is a great example - it focuses on the disruption in agriculture that could change food supplies and food costs worldwide. The issue: there’s been wave of global consolidation in agriculture that will put roughly 50% of the commercial seed market under the control of a few giant multinationals. ChemChina bought Syngenta, Dow Chemical is buying DuPont, and Germany’s Bayer is buying Monsanto. The impact of the changes to the competitive landscape can’t be overstated, including the national security considerations. In particular, ChemChina's purchase of Syngenta has made clear that China's food security strategy is being implemented to insulate its huge population against the kinds of food disruptions and famines the country has endured in the past. At the same time the consolidation is being looked at very carefully by global political and economic experts . Here's more:
