Seeds
The role of farmers and marketgardeners in the Netherlands regarding vegetable seeds has changed dramatically over the last century. It changed from co-developer and co-maintainer to that of just customer. The number of businesses serving farmers and marketgardeners has decreased over the same period from many dozens of familyenterprises to a few multinationals.
Their varieties combine a high quantitive yield and uniformity with a limited genetic diversity and scant characteristic taste. They often go through a very technological selection process. By selling these in the form of F1-hybrids they can not (easily) be propagated by others, being the very intention of it.
It is very likely that in the near future this process will proceed at a faster pace. Biological agriculture plays a marginal role in all this, being too small to command an exceptional position.
winkelmandje