Monsanto to ditch its infamous name after sale to Bayer

Friends of the Earth has run a long campaign to try to prevent the takeover, which it warned would “increase control over farmers and cut out competitors, and allow it to become the dominant ‘Facebook of farming’.”

In May, dozens of people demonstrated against the takeover outside Bayer’s AGM in Bonn.

“This merger will create the world’s biggest and most powerful agribusiness corporation, which will try to force its genetically modified seeds and toxic pesticides into our food and countryside,” Bebb said. “The coming together of these two is a marriage made in hell – bad for farmers, bad for consumers and bad for our countryside.”

Bayer won approval for the takeover from US and European regulators after agreeing to sell $9bn worth of assets to reduce the combined companies’ dominance of the global seeds market.

“The acquisition of Monsanto is a strategic milestone in strengthening our portfolio of leading businesses in health and nutrition,” Baumann said. “We will double the size of our agriculture business and create a leading innovation engine in agriculture, positioning us to better serve our customers and unlock the long-term growth potential in the sector.”

Now we get GMO foodies and patented seeds worldwide, kids!

#corporatedollars #monsanto