May 23, 2016
Leah Douglas wrote for CNN about the likely negative effects of the Monsanto-Bayer merger on consumers, farmers, and the food system:
Bayer's announcement that it intends to buy Monsanto, the world's largest seed producer, shocked farmers and consumers alike. The deal could have a profound -- and negative -- effect.
Seed prices could rise for farmers, consumers could see more genetically engineered foods on supermarket shelves, and our global agricultural system could end up depending on just a few companies to meet a high percentage of the world's agricultural needs.
In short, the $62 billion deal would further concentrate power in an already highly consolidated global seed and chemical industry.
It's time for anti-trust regulators, who have been allowing mergers and acquisitions such as this for decades, to look closely at how allowing this merger could hurt farmers and the environment.