26
Mar
Action: Your State’s AG Needs to Join the Investigation of the Bayer-Monsanto Merger
(Beyond Pesticides, March 26, 2018) Tell your state AG to join the investigation of the merger of Bayer-Monsanto, the manufacturer of genetically engineered seeds tolerant of its herbicide glyphosate (aka Roundup®), and Bayer, the manufacturer of neonicotinoid insecticides responsible for pollinator declines, including imidacloprid and clothianidin. The giant seed and pesticide company that would be created by this merger would be a disaster for pollinators, people, and the environment.
Farmers overwhelmingly think this mega-merger is a bad idea –a new survey and white paper were released that demonstrate widespread opposition of farmers to this merger. According to the poll, which was conducted by a coalition of farm organizations, 93 percent of farmers surveyed oppose it. More than one million Americans have called on the Department of Justice to stop it. Investigations are ongoing in both the EU and the U.S. Your state attorney general could play a key role in this fight by joining the investigation.
Tell your state AG to join the investigation of the Bayer-Monsanto Merger!
If this merger goes through, the new company would be the world’s largest vegetable seed company. It would control seeds for many of the crops we eat regularly — including broccoli, carrots, and onions.
It would also be the largest manufacturer and seller of herbicides. The merger threatens the development of a sustainable and just food system. It will hurt independent family farmers and rural economies, and will make it even more difficult for farmers to reject the chemical- intensive agricultural system that Bayer and Monsanto promote. In short, we would be giving a single corporation unprecedented control of our food supply. We can’t let the future of our food system be handed over to Bayer and Monsanto.
Your state Attorney General has the power to launch a public joint investigation of the proposed merger, and is more likely to do so if you speak up.
Tell your state Attorney General to join the investigation and oppose this toxic mega-merger NOW!
This merger is happening as part of a massive wave of consolidation in our food system. Dow and DuPont merged. So did ChemChina and Syngenta.
If Bayer and Monsanto merge, only four companies will control the entire market for seeds and pesticides, turning our food system over to mega-corporations that have enormous political power and control over prices, quality, and options for farmers and consumers.
Bayer and Monsanto are trying to rush this deal through. Bayer has even started to say it will sell off some of its business to win approval from the Department of Justice and state attorneys general, but this won’t solve the problem.
