The merger of the German drug company Bayer, one of the world’s largest producers of crop protection chemicals, and Monsanto, a US producer of genetically modified seeds, has raised concerns amongst activists battling the problem of food insecurity around the world.
The $66 billion merger comes as the world’s largest producers of pesticides and seeds have been undergoing much consolidation recently – including the merger of DuPont Co and Dow Chemicals, as well as China National Chemical Corp and Syngenta AG. The further monopolisation of the agrochemical and seed industry will force farmers across the world to be heavily dependent on such producers, with the risk of increased prices and market instability.
 
Although Bayer and Monsanto declare their commitment to finding a solution to food insecurity in a sustainable way, many activists are skeptical.
“Agricultural biotechnology has never been about 'feeding the world,' but enriching the bottom line of toxic chemical corporations that have had a long history of producing chemicals that are deadly to human populations and the environment," said the Director of Food Democracy Now!
Furthermore, Vandana Shiva explains how the consolidation of this industry will make it more difficult for small-scale farmers in the Global South to fight against unjust patents on seeds – something that Monsanto has had a long history with.
“All Monsanto cases in India are related to Monsanto un-scientifically, illegally and illegitimately claiming patents on seed, in contempt of India's laws, and trying to collect royalties from the Indian seed industry and farmers…Monsanto's "innovation" of collecting illegal royalties and pushing Indian farmers to suicide is also an innovation in killing without liability, indirectly,” she said.
In addition, some argue that consolidation and the resulting decrease in competition will hinder the incentive to innovate , raising concerns over the future of food security and food sovereignty.  
This week the UN warned that as many as five million people in Somalia do not have enough to eat, with hundreds of thousands of children acutely malnourished and requiring urgent assistance.