The 117-year-old company name of Monsanto, the largest manufacturer of genetically-modified seeds and one equated with glyphosates through its Roundup brand, disappears on Thursday when the $63 billion acquisition of Germany’s Bayer is finalized, the company announced.
The acquired products will retain their brand names and become part of the Bayer portfolio, Bayer said in a statement.
Environmentalists have long been a critic of Monsanto, which Bayer CEO Werner Baumann acknowledged in the statement.
“We aim to deepen our dialogue with society. We will listen to our critics and work together where we find common ground. Agriculture is too important to allow ideological differences to bring progress to a standstill,” Baumann said.
It may have its work cut out for it.
"At Codex meeting after Codex meeting,the National Health Federation has fought Monsanto representativeswho are poisoning our land and sea with toxic, gender-bending chemicals that threaten our very existence," said Scott Tips, president of NHF and WholeFoodslegal editor. "The company has never been interested in engaging in dialogue with us nor can there be common ground with companies whose livelihood is based upon poisons. Whether called Monsanto or Bayer, they must abandon toxic chemicals and adopt safe alternatives for there to be common ground."
