According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, since 1900, approximately 75% of the world’s genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been eliminated.

• In 1970, US farmers lost $1 billion worth of crops after a disease killed uniform corn varieties.
• Lack of genetic diversity led to massive outbreaks of citrus canker in Florida in 1984 and in Brazil in 1991
• During the 1840's, the majority of the population of Ireland relied upon a single variety of the potato. As a result of the lack of genetic diversity, a fungus was able to destroy the entire potato crop, causing the infamous Irish Potato Famine.

In 1998, the 10 largest seed companies controlled about 33% of the global seed market, and today 69% of all corn and 47% of all soybean seeds in the US were purchased from just four major companies.