The Wall Street Journal says the agreement between Bayer and Monsanto could be a step towards fighting back against strict agriculture biotech regulations in the European Union. That’s because Bayer has a more positive reputation than Monsanto among the European public, in part because Bayer is known for products beyond agro-chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals. Many genetically modified crops are banned throughout Europe. The Wall Street Journal says the oversight has been driven by fierce public resistance in the EU to pesticides and other crop protection chemicals. The head of Bayer’s crop science division says overregulation is the “single biggest challenge” in the EU for crop protection companies. The regulatory environment and current crop prices helped to kick start consolidation efforts within the industry. Monsanto and Bayer announced the $66 billion takeover agreement last week.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.