Cornucopia’s Take: To date, consolidation of seed and pesticide companies has given almost total control over pesticides, seeds, and agricultural traits to five firms. The pending Bayer-Monsanto merger will concentrate that power even further, and farmer input is critical to our understanding of what may happen if that merger goes through. Almost 50 farm groups,… Read more »

Cornucopia’s Take: Over 320 farmer, consumer, beekeeper, environmental, and worker groups sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions demanding a stop to Dow/DuPont and Bayer/Monsanto mega-mergers. Cornucopia was a signatory. It is difficult to see how such mergers benefit either farmers or consumers. Over 300 food and farm groups Urge Jeff Sessions to… Read more »

Cornucopia’s Take: Cornucopia was among the 213 farm, food, rural, faith and consumer advocacy organizations to seek Congressional support for a temporary halt to agribusiness mergers as the focus of legislation introduced by Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. Mark Pocan. The proposed legislation would set up a commission to determine what impacts agribusiness consolidation has on… Read more »

National Farmers Union Source: Kelly Sikkema In a letter sent May 31 to the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Renata Hesse, the American Antitrust Institute (AAI), Food & Water Watch (FWW) and National Farmers Union (NFU) urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division to challenge the proposed merger of Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont… Read more »

Huffington Post by Roger Johnson Source: Neal Wellons Agriculture has changed dramatically since the National Farmers Union was founded nearly 114 years ago, but arguably, one of the more concerning trends in our extended history has been the perpetuated consolidation of the agricultural input sector, specifically in the seed and crop protection industries. Even in… Read more »

Cornucopia’s Take: Despite the existence of U.S. laws barring the creation of monopolies, Bayer has jumped its final hurdle in acquiring Monsanto. Once the merger goes through, this single behemoth will control an estimated 77% of all seed corn and 69% of all seed traits. Farmers have been rightly worried about such consolidation in the… Read more »

NPR – The Salt by Dan Charles Source: Richard Yuan Most food, if we trace it back far enough, began as a seed. And the business of supplying those seeds to farmers has been transformed over the past half-century. Small-town companies have given way to global giants. A new round of industry consolidation is now… Read more »

Check Biotech By Kristen Philipkoski Organic cotton growers could face increased risk of crop contamination if a merger between the world’s largest seed company and the nation’s largest cottonseed seller is allowed to proceed, an influential agriculture watchdog group warned Thursday. Biotech giant Monsanto agreed to purchase Delta and Pine Land Company (DPL) last August… Read more »