A poll of 1,506 registered voters in the US from Public Policy Polling (PPP) has revealed that nine in ten Americans have serious concerns about the mooted merger of Bayer AG and Monsanto, which is currently under review by the US Department of Justice.
According to the survey, commissioned by NGOs Friends of the Earth and SumOfUs, 80 per cent of Trump voters believe the merger will result in job losses, 89 per cent are worried it will harm independent farmers and farming communities, while 85 per cent of all Americans are concerned at an increase in chemical contamination of food and farmland.
90 per cent of those polled, including 92 per cent of Trump voters, agreed that the government should take a more aggressive stance on corporate monopolies.
“History shows that Bayer and Monsanto’s toxic mega-merger will be devastating for American consumers, farmers, workers and our environment,” said Tiffany Finck-Haynes, Food Futures Campaigner at Friends of the Earth. “It’s time for Trump to listen to the American people – including 92 percent of his voters – and protect our farmers and families instead of his corporate cronies.”
Bayer has defended the merger, arguing that it would take advantage of both companies’ complementary businesses, increasing innovation and creating a stronger product portfolio of seeds, seed treatments and products to control weeds, insects and fungal diseases.
