The United States is one of the few countries that allow patents on plant varieties—a policy designed to encourage agricultural innovation. But according to The Conversation, those same patents have become a tool that stifles experimentation. When seed patents restrict who can breed new varieties, progress slows, and consumers and farmers alike feel the impact through higher costs and fewer choices.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton