NRDC Decries Department of Justice Decision to Approve Bayer-Monsanto Mega Merger

Washington D.C. — Yesterday, the Department of Justice published its final proposed approval of the mega merger between German chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate Bayer AG, and the agrochemical and U.S. agricultural biotechnology corporation Monsanto. The decision comes despite widespread opposition from environmental groups, farmers, and millions of Americans. On August 8, 2018, NRDC filed comments denouncing the proposed merger, with nearly 50,000 NRDC members also writing letters in opposition. As NRDC has argued, the merger will have likely disastrous economic and environmental repercussions–depressing competition and innovation and further locking in unsustainable food production practices.

A statement follows from NRDC’s Daniel Raichel, Staff Attorney for the Pollinator Initiative at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

"The Department’s approval creates a seed and pesticide goliath—the size and power of which agricultural markets have never seen before. The likely result will be higher costs for farmers and greater dependence on newer, chemical-heavy growing practices, which in the last twenty years have decimated bee populations and other keystone wildlife species.”

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Chicago; Bozeman, Montana; and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC