Baysanto merger is bad news for farmers and the environment

The European Commission has today given the green light for the merger of Bayer and Monsanto. Greens/EFA food safety spokesperson Bart Staes comments:

"This merger is bad news for farmers, our environment and food security. The agriculture industry is already far too concentrated, giving a handful of massive firms a strangle hold on food production. Merging two of the biggest players only makes a bad situation worse.

"The Commission needs to take action to strengthen the hand of the smaller players in our agriculture industry. The upcoming CAP reform is a chance to empower small farmers and support the rapid transition away from the chemical dependent approach of the likes of Monsanto and towards genuinely sustainable farming."