Of all the firms involved in agriculture, the largest are already the grain traders and seed producers, most of the latter owned by big chemical firms.

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Although the plant springing forth from that seed is healthy and can go about its business of producing grain, say, quite normally, the grain that it produces will not grow if planted, because the activated terminator gene has killed off the seed's reproductive bits.

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It is much easier for big western companies to deal with large agri-businesses, to which they can sell fertilisers and equipment in bulk, and from which they can buy vast quantities of grain, sugar beet and sunflower seed.

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It starts with the plant breeders who develop new crop varieties and extends through seed production, farmers who cultivate the crops, grain handlers, transporters and processors, and finally to marketers and retailers.

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Michael Cembalest, chief investment officer of JP Morgan, says he is more interested in areas that work to counter-act rising food prices by adding innovation and expanded planting space, like seed companies, infrastructure and harvesting equipment makers, grain processors and fertilizer companies, than in agricultural commodities, which may be risky if conditions change earlier than expected.

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From the people we buy our seed from to the people we use to process our meat to the transportation system to haul our grain, we create a lot of jobs in rural Missouri, so we want to make sure that's not overlooked.

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Yes, it also operates Mississippi River barges and a network of rural grain elevators, and it makes staples yawn from things like peanuts and the seed of the oil palm.

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