Business Daily Meets: Harry Stein

BBC World Service | Host: Ed Butler | Release Date: October 31, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Harry Stein, founder and CEO of Steinseed Company—the world’s largest private seed firm. Now 84 years old, Stein reflects on his eight decades in farming, his journey from working on a family farm to transforming agriculture through high-tech seed and genetics work, and his views on the ethics and economics of modern agribusiness. The discussion covers his personal challenges, major industry shifts, and the controversy surrounding patents and GMOs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life and Farming Roots

• Starting Out on the Farm:
  • Harry began farm work at four years old, reminiscing about old practices and his early learning experiences.

    "I started working in a field right beside our office when I was 4 years old and today they would put my parents in jail for doing that."
    (Harry Stein, 01:27)

  • He describes early challenges operating equipment and learning through hands-on guidance:

    "I couldn't reach the pedals. I had no idea what the gear shift was for..."
    (Harry Stein, 02:33)

2. Overcoming Personal Challenges

• Dyslexia and Autism:
  • Harry openly discusses struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia and autism as a child in the 1940s/50s, describing difficult school experiences with terminology from the era (warning for offensive language used as historical context).

    "I was both dyslexic and autistic, but I didn't know that at the time... she didn't want this little retarded kid in her class."
    (Harry Stein, 04:04)

  • He recalls a moment of triumph:

    "...the teacher came down the aisle and hugged me. Well, the little kid had gotten a perfect score on an arithmetic test. So that was the point in time, in retrospect, that I learned to reverse everything."
    (Harry Stein, 04:47)

3. Education and Entrepreneurial Drive

• Lifelong Learning:
  • Stein values diverse knowledge and attributes this to his extensive coursework at McPherson College.

    "I think it's very important if you're going to be an entrepreneur to have a very wide knowledge of many things."
    (Harry Stein, 05:17)

• Farmer First, Entrepreneur Second:
  • Despite his business acumen, Stein emphasizes his identity as a farmer.

    "No. And even today I'm a farmer and we happen to specialize in seed."
    (Harry Stein, 05:55)

4. Innovation in Plant Breeding

• Discovery of Unique Soybeans:
  • Stein's curiosity for unusual soybean traits led him into plant breeding.

    "Not knowing any better, I went up to Iowa State University one time because I had some soybean seed that was kind of interesting and unusual..."
    (Harry Stein, 06:39)

• Breeding Process Described:
  • He compares plant breeding to assembling sports teams, stressing the importance of scale and systematic evaluation.

    "It's very simple, actually. So you simply cross two different varieties together, and you do this on a very large scale..."
    (Harry Stein, 07:47)

  • On data-driven selection:

    "You plant trial plots... all over the Midwest in our case, and look at the data very carefully and pick the best ones."
    (Harry Stein, 08:47)

5. Protecting Plant Genetics & Patents

• Legal Evolution:

  • Early on, proprietary genetics were protected via contracts; from the 90s onward, patents played a key role.

    "The U.S. patent Office did not accept patents on self pollinated crops until the early 90s, but we were one of the first companies that took advantage of that.... prior to that time, we used contractual obligations..."
    (Harry Stein, 09:16)

• Large Market Share:

  • Steinseed now collects fees on about 85% of U.S. soybean acreage.

    "We receive fees, either directly or indirectly, on the vast majority of soybeans planted in the United States... about 85% of the acreage."
    (Harry Stein, 11:42)

6. Patents, Farmer Access & Market Concentration

• Patents and Poorer Farmers:

  • The host questions the ethics of patenting seeds and its impact on subsistence farmers.

    “[Farmers] now have to be tied into buying in some places seeds developed by you or by the other big companies at a price... makes just running a small subsistence farm incredibly difficult..."
    (Interviewer, 11:59)

  • Stein attributes higher prices to large multinationals:

    "We think there are some large multinational companies that actually charge more than is necessary and more than they should to these same farmers you're talking about."
    (Harry Stein, 12:39)

  • On Steinseed's fees:

    "We have very low fees, relatively speaking. And as you can see, though, we've done fairly well with those low fees."
    (Harry Stein, 12:53)

• Market Power & Regulation:

  • Discusses industry consolidation, with 60% of the market controlled by four companies. Stein blames government regulation for barriers to entry.

    "The ridiculous registration that is necessary today for new genetics and new traits, limits the entry of smaller companies... the government has caused this problem..."
    (Harry Stein, 13:37)

7. The Science & Impact of Modern Agriculture

• Productivity Gains:

  • Stein takes pride in the massive yield improvements made possible by genetics, chemicals, and mechanization.

    "It's very easy to get over 200 [bushels per acre]. So if you would have told my father that your kid will be able to get 10 times the national average, that would seem crazy..."
    (Harry Stein, 14:46)

• Views on GMOs:

  • Firmly defends genetically modified crops against critics:

    "You can see no evidence whatsoever of any harm that any of these modified crops have caused. My primary explanation is that those are people that lack logic and don't understand."
    (Harry Stein, 16:14)

  • On ecological change and the evolutionary "arms race":

    "... same concept is true about traditional breeding... we'll breed... more resistant to a particular disease, and that disease adjusts..."
    (Harry Stein, 17:08)

8. Perspectives on Wealth, Legacy & the Future

• On Wealth and Responsibility:

  • Stein eschews the trappings of wealth and focuses on purposeful work.

    "If you're around me very much, you'll notice that I don't live as if we had any significant wealth... I have fun doing what I'm doing..."
    (Harry Stein, 18:35)

• Staying Private:

  • No plans to take Steinseed public.

    "No, there's no reason to do that. We have no intention. When I'm gone, people say, well, what's going to happen then? And I say, I don't care, and I don't know."
    (Harry Stein, 18:05)

• Personal Legacy:

  • Emphasizing resilience over status.

    "That I was a simple farmer who, despite being dyslexic and autistic, was able to do pretty well."
    (Harry Stein, 18:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|-------------|-------| | 01:27 | Harry Stein | "I started working in a field right beside our office when I was 4 years old and today they would put my parents in jail for doing that." | | 04:04 | Harry Stein | "I was both dyslexic and autistic, but I didn't know that at the time... she didn't want this little retarded kid in her class." | | 06:39 | Harry Stein | "So I tell Iowa State people that I got my education there in about 20 minutes from that guy." | | 07:47 | Harry Stein | "It's very simple, actually. You simply cross two different varieties together, and you do this on a very large scale." | | 11:42 | Harry Stein | "We receive fees... on about 85% of the acreage in the United States." | | 13:37 | Harry Stein | "The ridiculous registration... limits the entry of smaller companies... the government has caused this problem..." | | 14:46 | Harry Stein | "It's very easy to get over 200... If you would have told my father that your kid will be able to get 10 times the national average, that would seem crazy." | | 16:14 | Harry Stein | "You can see no evidence whatsoever of any harm that any of these modified crops have caused. My primary explanation is that those are people that lack logic and don't understand." | | 18:35 | Harry Stein | "If you're around me very much, you'll notice that I don't live as if we had any significant wealth, and I don't care about that." | | 18:56 | Harry Stein | "That I was a simple farmer who, despite being dyslexic and autistic, was able to do pretty well." |

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:09 — Introduction to Harry Stein and Steinseed Company
• 02:33 — Early farm work memories
• 04:04 — Overcoming dyslexia, autism, and school challenges
• 05:17 — College education and entrepreneurial thinking
• 06:39 — Discovery leading to soybean breeding
• 07:47 — Breeding philosophy and methodology
• 09:16 — Plant genetics, patents, and legal landscape
• 11:42 — Market dominance and licensing model
• 12:39 — Seed pricing and ethical concerns
• 13:37 — Market concentration and barriers to entry
• 14:46 — Historic and current crop yields
• 16:14 — Debate on GMOs and safety
• 17:08 — Evolution and pest resistance in agriculture
• 18:05 — Steinseed’s future as a private company
• 18:35 — Views on wealth and personal fulfillment
• 18:56 — Reflections on legacy

Final Thoughts

This episode offers a rare, candid look at the story and philosophy of one of the most prominent yet private figures in global agriculture. Stein’s journey weaves together personal resilience, scientific innovation, sharp business sense, and controversial industry dynamics, leaving listeners with a clear sense of both the remarkable advances and the ongoing tensions shaping modern farming.