In 1980, U.S. Congressional hearings on proposed amendments to expand the 1970 Plant Variety Protection Act turn into the first extended public discussion of patent protection for plants; opposition to plant patents was strong, but the amendments passed.

The U.S. Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA) was to encourage the development of new varieties of crops and to make them available to the public. The protection enables the collection of royalties that, in turn, provide funding for development of other new varieties. Overall, the PVPA promotes progress in all segments of agriculture and ultimately benefits the consumer.