Every year your product spends in regulatory review is a year of patent value consumed before you reach market. The Farm Bill just created the first dedicated biotechnology policy office inside USDA. Most coverage missed the two years of federal coordination work that came before it — and why that history is the part that matters for your patent strategy.

The FAO's 2026 theme is 'Plant biosecurity for food security and nutrition.' Behind that phrase is a straightforward argument: the innovations protecting crops from disease and pests depend on intellectual property protection to exist. Here's what that means in practice.

The AgTech patent boom is not a passing trend. As agriculture becomes more data-driven, automated, and sustainability-focused, universities will remain primary sources of early-stage innovation. Technology transfer offices that understand how AgTech companies assess risk, value, and deployment will be best positioned to translate their innovation into real-world impact.

The lawsuits filed by Bayer CropScience against Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson. Although the cases are in early stages and all players will have to see how they play out, ultimately, the very fact that these cases exist serves as a cautionary tale and a roadmap. Innovators in both the pharmaceutical and agribusiness spaces should anticipate cross-industry IP risks, invest in early licensing strategies, and draft patents with an eye toward future, unforeseen applications.