Mega-corporations Bayer and Monsanto have agreed to merge in a $66 billion dollar deal, that was just approved by the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday, April 9th. This will create the world’s largest agrichemical firm, which will control more than one-fourth of the combined global market for seeds and pesticides.
Monsanto, the world’s largest producer of genetically modified (GMO) crops and maker of the glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, has faced mounting controversy and numerous lawsuits in recent years over the health and environmental impacts of its products.
Bayer has also been subject to criticism over its widely used insecticide, imidacloprid, which belongs to a controversial class of chemicals called neonicotinoids that’s linked to widespread deaths of pollinators.
The merger will eliminate direct competition between two of the largest players in the farm supply and seed sector – directly affecting seed development, herbicide markets, and innovative research and development. This deal will also strengthen the ties between Big Pharma, Big Food and Big Biotech, while providing less choice and higher food prices for consumers along with less choice for seeds and agrichemicals for farmers.
“The merger of Bayer and Monsanto should make the connection between Big Pharma, Big Biotech and Big Food all the more apparent to consumers,” says Ronnie Cummins – International Director of the Organic Consumers Association. “This may be a move to take pressure off the manufacturer of glyphosate, the most profitable pesticide in the world. But it really doesn’t matter who manufactures or sells glyphosate, or any other dangerous chemical. The damage to human health and the environment remains the same, as does our commitment to getting these chemicals out of our food system.”
According to the US Department of Agriculture, farm production in the US has consistently shifted away from smaller farms, to larger ones. Whereas just 15% of all cropland was held by farms with at least 2,000 acres in 1987, that percentage had jumped to 36% by 2012.
With the increasing consolidation of the agriculture supply industry (Monsanto-Bayer is the biggest of three major mergers – preceded by Dow-DuPont and Syngenta-ChemChina), things will not be getting easier for small farmers anytime soon.
At Clear Choice Natural Healthcare, we cannot stress the importance of knowing where your food comes from. When you source organic food from a Farmers Market or local CSA, you are consuming the safest, most nutrient dense produce possible while also supporting small farmers.
Click Here to find a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program near you and learn more about Community Supported Agriculture.
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Article adapted from ecowatch.com and businessinsider.com.
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