Why is this important?
Bayer is one of the largest producers of agricultural chemicals,
fertilizers, and pesticides. And Monsanto is one of the leading
producers of genetically modified plants. [1] Together, these
companies could have a total lockdown on what farmers put in their
fields, the pesticides they use, what we buy in the shops, and
ultimately put on our dinner tables.
If the merger is to be successful, the two companies must gain
approval of competition authorities all over the world, including from
the EU. Bayer has managed to “convince” Donald Trump to back the
mega-merger [2], and now there is really only one organisation that has
enough clout to stop the deal -- the European Union.
We know that Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner for competition informally is already negotiating with Bayer behind closed doors. If we don’t act now this mega-merger could be a done-deal. That’s why we have to tell her to reject the deal now.
The merger of Bayer and Monsanto isn’t the only mega-merger in the agri-chemicals sector. ChemChina has already swallowed Swiss based Syngenta, and Dow Chemical and Dupont have merged as well. The three new agri-business giants would control 70% of the world’s agri-chemicals and 60% of the market for seeds.[3]
This would be a crushing anti-competitive blow to the world’s farmers,
tying them into buying seeds and pesticides from just three global
corporations.
