Over the last decades the same chemical companies which manufactured explosives and lethal poisonous gases for the war, turned to the agricultural market, where they saw enormous potential to keep multiplying their profits.
Through patents and intellectual property rights (IPRs), and free trade agreements, they have established monopolies, threatening farmers’ rights to seed, people’s rights to affordable medicine and people’s rights to healthy, nutritious food.
The “Big 6” chemical and GMO corporations that own the world’s seed, pesticides and biotechnology industries are now enlarging their empire with mega buyouts. Syngenta is merging with ChemChina ($43 billion deal). Dow Chemical, which bought up Union Carbide responsible for the Bhopal disaster killing over 20,000 people, is merging with Dupont ($122/130 billion deal) while Bayer is merging with Monsanto (over $63 billion deal).
Should all these mergers get approved by EU and US regulators, just 3 companies will be left in control of 60% of the world’s seeds and 70% of the chemicals and pesticides.
Through these aggressive mergers and acquisitions they are expanding their markets, and, by directly targeting decision-makers, increasing their influence and pressure on governments and institutions. Through wide public relations and propaganda they are undermining science – to ensure that health and environmental regulations do not interfere with their profit making activities, thus increasingly leading to the erosion of our democratic principles. By expanding their monopolies on seed and food, chemicals and medicines, they deepen their control over our food and health, with the burden of this system falling most heavily on the smallest farms and the poorest consumers.
Related Campaigns
Poison Free Food and Farming
2017 – 2018
Call to Action against the Corporate Takeover of our Food and Health
2017
People’s Assemblies for the Future of Our Food and the Future of Our Planet
2016
Related Events and Actions
Dr Vandana Shiva submits objection to Bayer-Monsanto Merger
20 January 2018
“Stop BAYER / MONSANTO” days of action in Germany
25-29 April 2017, Cologne and Bonn Germany
People’s Assembly on Dow-DuPont crimes of Genocide and Ecocide
29 November 2016, Bhopal, India
Monsanto Tribunal and People’s Assembly
14 – 16 October 2016, The Hague, Netherlands
US Monsanto-German Bayer merger: Shiva sends SOS to PM
By Dhirendra Kumar – Millenniumpost, 20 September 2016
Opposing the BAYER and Monsanto merger – The fight for a GM-free agriculture must be strengthened
27 June 2016, Berlin, Germany
Open letter to the Chairman of the Board of BAYER
The Steering Committee of the Monsanto Tribunal, 8 June 2016
Navdanya writes to CCI for rejection of merger of Dow- Dupont
Navdanya, 9 April 2017
Related Articles
No to the mega-merger of Bayer and Monsanto, our rights are at stake
By Ruchi Shroff, Navdanya International – Lifegate, 12 March 2018
No alla megafusione Bayer-Monsanto, in gioco ci sono i nostri diritti
Di Ruchi Shroff, Navdanya International – Lifegate, 7 marzo 2018
The Monsanto Tribunal’s Legal Opinion reinforces movements’ struggle for basic human rights
By Ruchi Shroff – Common Dreams, 19 April 2017
Navdanya welcomes CCI order on buyout of Monsanto by Bayer AG
The Economic Times, 26 March 2017
Bayer-Monsanto Merger
By Ruchi Shroff, 16 October 2016
Ending a Century of Ecocide and Genocide, Seeding Earth Democracy
By Dr Vandana Shiva – Common Dreams, 12 October 2016
Multinazionali geneticamente modificate
Di Ruchi Shroff – Sinistra Sindacale, 10 ottobre 2016
The Corporate War Against The Planet, People and Democracy
Navdanya International, 15 July 2016
Corporate Imperialism – The only reason for GMOs
By Dr Vandana Shiva, 20 November 2015
Related Publications
The Toxic Story of RoundUp: Freedom from the Poison Cartel through Agroecology
TAG: Corporate Mergers
