Background
Bayer is a life sciences company headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany. Bayer has three divisions: pharmaceuticals, consumer health and crop science. The Bayer Group comprises 374 consolidated companies in 83 countries.1โBayer AG (Bayn),โMarketScreener. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/B220t 2โNames, Facts, Figures about Bayer,โ Bayer. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/gMHBy
Following a 2018 deal, the pesticides giant Monsanto was folded into Bayerโs Crop Science division. Bayerโs Crop Science division lists four โfields of activityโ: crop protection, seeds, digital farming and environmental science.โ3โOrganization Chart,โ Bayer. September 1, 2022. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/76UYy
Agrochemicals comprise 45.8 percent of Bayerโs annual global sales revenues. In 2021, the majority of Bayerโs sales were in the United States at 30.4 percent, followed by the combined Europe, Middle East and Africa markets at 24 percent, Asia-Pacific at 11.3 percent, China at 8.7 percent, Brazil at 7.9 percent, Latin America at 7.2 percent and Germany at 5.8 percent.4โBayer AG (Bayn),โMarketScreener. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/AzvlD
Bayer has reportedly received ยฃ600 million from the UK government coronavirus pandemic bailout fund.5Zach Boren. โPesticide Giant gets ยฃ1BN bailout despite mammoth dividend plan,โ Unearthed, June 4, 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/lkHmh
In a March 2021 presentation titled โThe Beginning of Whatโs Next,โ Crop Science Division Head of Research & Development Bob Reiter estimated that the new plant protection products and technologies in Bayer’s production pipeline would generate โฌ30 billion in new sales by 2030. Reiter also estimated that advanced breeding and data science technology applications for soybean and corn seeds would have a combined sales potential of around โฌ16 billion.6โThe Beginning of Whatโs Next,โ Bayer. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Archived November, 16, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/jG44Z
According to the presentation, Bayer plans to launch over 75 new fungicide, insecticide and herbicide formulations in the next decade. The companyโs sales estimates for its fungicides, pesticides and herbicides is a total of โฌ8 billion. As of March 2021, Bayer leads the global agribusiness industry in funding for research & development, spending โฌ2 billion and employing over 7,000 R&D employees across 50 countries.7โThe Beginning of Whatโs Next,โ Bayer. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archived November, 16, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/jG44Z
In January 2022, Claire Berringer joined Bayer as European Parliament relations manager. She was formerly a Parliamentary and Communications Adviser for the British National Farmers’ Union (NFU).8Lili Bayer. “EU Influence: Starting a consultancy during COVID โ Media renews DSA blitz โ Moving into Warsaw,” Politico Europe, January 21, 2022. Archived January 21, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Fvelk
Stance on Climate Change
Bayer has committed to achieving a 30 percent reduction of โthe field greenhouse gas footprint of our farming customersโ by 2030. The company states, โAlthough agriculture is a contributor to climate change, the industry plays a role in curbing greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrogen oxide that contribute to climate change.”9โShaping Agriculture,โBayer. Archived November 7, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/b5d3F
On its website, Bayer references a study by Cranfield University on the carbon footprint of crop protection products, which โconcluded that for one kilo of CO2 equivalent invested in the manufacture and use of pesticides, at least 10kg of CO2 is removed from the atmosphere as a result of yield increases attributed to that pesticide use.โ10Crop Science // UK,โ Bayer. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/DcqlH The study was commissioned for the Crop Protection Association and published in August 2009.11E. Audsley et al. โEstimation of the greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural pesticide manufacture and use,โ Cranfield University, August 2009. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/OcI8f
Bayer encourages farmers to use โclimate-smartโ practices, such as no-till farming, to combat climate change, according to an article from 2020. It says that soil is one of the most effective carbon sinks. The firm wants to incentivize farmers to โembrace no-till, precision nitrogen use or cover cropsโ to help โfurther sequester carbon into the soil, reduce fossil fuel usage and reduce greenhouse gases.โ12โBayer takes steps to make carbon sequestration a farmerโs newest crop opportunity,โ Bayer, July 21, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/ip8Zg
During a Bayer-sponsored segment at the 2022 Politico Future of Food and Farming Summit, Bayer promoted three innovations โfor a productive, sustainable futureโ: next generation [plant breeding] techniques (NGTs), cover crops, and no-till farming. Bob Reiter, head of research and development at Bayer Crop Science Division, stated: โOne of the best things farmers can do to ensure carbon stays in the ground is not to till.โ13Bob Reiter, Head of Research and Development, Crop Science Division Bayer, โSponsored segment by Bayer – Agri-protection: innovating for a productive, sustainable future,โ POLITICO Future of Food and Farming Summit 2022, September 29, 2022. Archived January 26, 2023. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
In its 2022 response to the European Commissionโs proposal to revise EU pesticide laws, Bayer stated: โPesticides can also play a role in enabling agriculture to lower greenhouse gas emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere: they reduce the need for farmers to till their soil, which in turn leads to reduced fossil fuels consumption and soil disturbance.โ14Bayer AG. โOur views on Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation,โ European Commission, September 19, 2022. Archived November 21, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
The benefits of no-till farming are widely considered to be unproven, and studies suggest that no-till farming may increase the use of pesticides.15Kerstine Appunn. โCarbon farming explained: the pros, the cons and the EU’s plans,โ Clean Energy Wire, March 23, 2022. Archived October 26, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/3AseU
A 2019 video by Bayer about climate change states that farmers โare uniquely positionedโ to combat climate change. Farmers can achieve this by planting genetically modified seeds, according to the video, which โ[enable] farmers to use reduced tillage and no till practices, which has resulted in a substantial reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.โ16โGive It a Minute: Climate Change,โ YouTube video uploaded by user Bayer Crop Science on February 15, 2019. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
In July 2020, Brett Begemann, chief operating officer of Bayerโs Crop Science Division, said โif anyone has a vested interest in battling climate change, itโs farmers.โ Begemann praised farmers for being โpassionate environmentalists and stewards of the lands they farm.โ17โBayer takes steps to make carbon sequestration a farmerโs newest crop opportunity,โ Bayer, July 21, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/ip8Zg
In 2020, Bayer was one of more than 60 companies to call for the German governmentโs pandemic-related aid to be tied to climate action. โWe appeal to the federal government to closely link economic policy measures to overcome both the climate crisis and the coronavirus crisis,โ the firms stated in a joint letter.18โGerman companies call for COVID-19 aid to be tied to climate action,โ Reuters, April 27, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/yDKPh
In August 2020, the Science Based Targets initiative โ a partnership between the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute, the World Wildlife Fund, and We Mean Business to increase corporate ambition on climate change โ stated that Bayer was playing its part in limiting average global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.19โScience based targets initiative endorses climate protection targets of Bayer AG,โ Bayer, August 21, 2020. Archived November 19, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/QvtOH
In a press release following this endorsement, Werner Baumann, Bayerโs chief sustainability officer, said, โthis is a crucial step as we pursue our big target of becoming climate-neutral by 2020. It shows we aim to live up to our responsibility as a leading life science company in the fields of healthcare and nutrition. Climate change poses a threat to the whole of humanity and we need to be absolutely determined in tackling it.โ20โScience based targets initiative endorses climate protection targets of Bayer AG,โ Bayer, August 21, 2020. Archived November 19, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/QvtOH
In a November 2020 op-ed in The European Files, a policy magazine written for employees of EU institutions, Volker Koch-Achelpohler, Bayerโs public affairs chief for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, wrote:21Volker Koch-Achelpohler. โA coherent European Green Deal for the next generations,โ The European Files, November 25, 2020. Archived December 30, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/35xJv
โWithout modern crop protection solutions, integrated weed management, new breeding techniques, digital agriculture and carbon farming, there will be no reduction in environmental impact. On the contrary we will see an acceleration in environmental degradation, as the world population is growing and more people access the middle class.โ
The company has downplayed the impact of pesticide use on biodiversity loss. In September 2022, Bayer told the European Commission, โalthough pollution (including the sub-category of direct effects of pesticide) can play a role in some places and conditions, because of stringent chemicalโs regulation it is usually a minor one for approved uses.โ22Bayer AG. โOur views on Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation,โ European Commission, September 19, 2022. Archived November 21, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Scientists have identified pesticides as a key driver of biodiversity loss.23Tim G. Benton, Carling Bieg, Helen Harwatt, Roshan Pudasaini and Laura Wellesley. โFood system impacts on biodiversity loss – Three levers for food system transformation in support of nature,โ Chatham House, February 2021. Archived August 2, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. In 2020, The US Environmental Protection Agency published a draft evaluation which found that glyphosate alone โ the worldโs most popular pesticide and a key ingredient of Bayerโs roundup โ was likely to harm 93 percent of endangered species and 96 percent of their habitats.24Sam Bloch. โNew EPA finding: Glyphosate harms 93 percent of endangered species,โ The Counter, February 12, 2020. Archived October 25, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/r14ub
Digital and Precision Agriculture
Agriculture reporter Ryan Ridley has described Bayer as โtaking a leadership positionโ in precision agriculture technology in a piece for Farms.com.25Ryan Ridley. โBayer takes efficiency to new heights,โ Farms.com, July 26, 2018. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/jpg3L Bayer sells a range of software and other technologies for digital and precision farming.
Bayer says that โdigital solutions help limit the waste of resources, help improve farmersโ bottom lines and minimize agricultureโs impact on the environment,โ adding that โnew technologies are helping drive efficiencies on the farm.โ26โEnabling Farmers To Get The Most Out Of Their Fields While Using Less Land and Fewer Inputs,โ Bayer. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/gpLPj The company also claims that digital agriculture can help farmers โmake better use of their time and resources to focus on what matters most at any given time. Thatโs better for them, for their operation and for our planet.โ27โDigital Farming,โ Bayer. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Y2rv1
Adrian Percy, the former head of research and development for Bayerโs crop science division, echoed this stance, telling Euromoney that decades of innovation have increased the effectiveness and efficiency of farming, and that the โlack of available farmland and challenges such as climate change have now brought us to a breaking point. We need new thinking, tools and products.โ28Helen Avery. โFinance for a Farming Revolution,โ Euromoney, October 8, 2019. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/32juC
In a 2016 article, Mother Jones reporter Tom Philpott suggested that Bayer was in the process of acquiring Monsanto because of its โheft in the data market,โ including prior investments in precision agriculture and Monsantoโs acquisition of the Climate Corporation startup in 2013.29Tom Philpott. โRobots are growing tons of our food. Hereโs the creepy part,โ Mother Jones, September/October 2016. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/tN7HB However, a report by Lux Research argued that while Bayerโs acquisition of Monsanto was a winning deal in some ways, it would weaken Bayerโs precision agriculture entity due to Monsanto’s โnonsensicalโ investment approach in โunprovenโ technologies.30โBayer-Monsanto entity will be weak in precision agriculture,โ HortiDaily, January 12, 2017. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/EYFKS
Environmental NGOs like Friends of the Earth have suggested that the introduction of precision technologies and data platforms like those owned by Bayer could give a small number of agribusiness giants unprecedented control over the food system. โThis new form of vertical integration allows corporations to extract data from farmers and then use this to direct their product choices, locking farmers into the companyโs value chain and making them technologically dependent,โ writes Friends of the Earthโs Mute Schimpf.31Mute Schimpf. โDigital Farming: Can digital farming really address the systemic causes of agricultureโs impact on the environment and society, or will it entrench them?โ Friends of the Earth, February 2020. Archived November 9, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
In July 2020, Liam Condon, president of Bayerโs Crop Science division, said that farmers need access to technology and urged policy-makers to โensure a predictable, science-based regulatory system across the food chain.โ32Liam Condon. โOpinion: the most resilient people in the world? Farmers,โ AgriPulse, July 22, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/UjRQV
In a sponsored post for Politico in November 2019, Condon argued that innovation was key to the future of farming and that new technologies, like precision agriculture and plant breeding tools, were โlessening agricultureโs ecological footprint.โ33Liam Condon. โFarmingโs Future Belongs to All of Us,โ Politico, September 26, 2019. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/YLtuX
In 2016, Bayerโs ForwardFarming initiative, a knowledge platform that โfosters dialogue and showcases on-farm sustainable practices with farmers,โ teamed up with Belgium-based Ghent University to conduct research into smart farming solutions, including precision agriculture and resource management.34โBayer ForwardFarming Initiative: Demonstrating Sustainable Agriculture in Practice,โ Bayer. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/YBeee 35โBayer endowed Chair ForwardFarming,โ Ghent University, September 10, 2019. Archived September 19, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/4fJ9G
In the run up to the 2018 World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, Bayer Climate Corporation CEO Michael Stern said that artificial intelligence was โhelping shape the future of farming.โ36โInterview with Michael Stern โ BAYER,โ World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, September 15-16, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive.vn URL: https://archive.vn/0wiYT
In late 2017, Chemical and Engineering News reported that Bayer and American biotech firm Ginkgo Bioworks were forming a joint venture, Joyn Bio, to invest US$100 million in a farm that would โexploit the potential of synthetic biology to improve microbes that help plants grow.37โMelody M. Bomgardner. โBayer, Ginkgo launch microbe company,โ C&En, September 18, 2017. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/tIPij
Joyn Bio in 2019 expanded to include another partner, NewLeaf Symbiotics, which specializes in products involving nitrogen-fixing microbes. โThe potential to pair our platform for microbial engineering with NewLeafโs microbes will bring unprecedented performance to biological agriculture solutions,โ said Joyn CEO Mike Miille.38Melody M. Bomgardner. โGinkgo, Bayer venture taps NewLeaf for plant microbes,โ C&En, July 22, 2019. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/tIPij
In 2020, Bayer participated in Internet of Food and Farm, an EU-funded project which aims to โmake precision farming a realityโ with the help of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.39โThe precision agriculture revolution is here- see it in action!โ AgNews, May 3, 2019. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/fHfOd 40โIntroducing Internet of Food and Farm 2020,โ IOF2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/k22Fj
In early 2020, Bayerโs Climate Corporation and Tillable, a farming lease and rental management platform, faced social media backlash after farmers raised concerns about data sharing between the two companies.41Emiko Terazono. โBayer Ends Digital Farming Agreement After Twitter Backlash,โ The Financial Times, February 16, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/LQZkS
Jason Davidson of Friends of the Earth has criticized Bayerโs digital platform, describing it as โanother attempt to sell more toxic products, monetize farmer data and maintain control of our food system.โ42Jason Davidson. โFollowing $10 BN roundup settlement, Bayer uses climate program as front to lock in control of farmer data and sell more roundup,โ Friends of the Earth, August 17, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020, Archive URL: https://archive.vn/mNR9f
Subsequently, Bayerโs Climate Corporation was forced to end its partnership with Tillable. Mike Stern, chief executive of the group, said at the time, โwe have not, do not and will not share or sell our customersโ personal information or farm data.โ43Emiko Terazono. โBayer Ends Digital Farming Agreement After Twitter Backlash,โ The Financial Times, February 16, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/LQZkS
In September 2021, Bayer sponsored Politico Europeโs Future of Food & Farming Summit. In his opening remarks, Bruno Tremblay, Bayerโs regional head of Europe, Middle East and Africa for the crop science division, said: โWe fully support the Green Deal climate targets, but we also believe that making Europe the first climate positive continent with resilient food systems can only work if every farmer in the European Union gets access to climate smart tools and get rewarded for implementing them for agriculture to leap forward.โ44“Opening Session & Interview with Tom. J. Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture | FFFS,โ YouTube video uploaded by user Politico Europe, September 24, 2021. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
Corporate watchdog organization Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) has suggested that Bayer and other agribusiness companies have promoted digital and precision farming as playing a key role in the EUโs climate action. According to CEO, โthis includes demands to allow aerial spraying of pesticides again (which is banned under the current rules, except under specific derogations) โ but via drones.โ45โA loud lobby for a silent spring: The pesticide industryโs lobbying tactics against Farm to Fork.โ Corporate Europe Observatory, March 17, 2022. Archived July 26, 2022. Archive PDF: https://archive.ph/hpFb3 Aerial spraying of pesticides has been criticized by environmental and health organizations because pesticides can fall on areas other than crop fields.46โIntroduction to Pesticide Drift,โ United States Environmental Protection Agency. Archived November 26, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/FEpgA
According to CEO, Bayer and CropLife Europe lobbied DG Sante for approval of application of pesticides by drone, claiming that they โinsist[ed]โ that it should be recognised in revised pesticide regulations.47โA loud lobby for a silent spring: The pesticide industryโs lobbying tactics against Farm to Fork.โ Corporate Europe Observatory, March 17, 2022. Archived July 26, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/hpFb3
The Commission announced in the proposed revision of the EUโs Sustainable Use of Pesticide Directive that it planned to allow aerial drone application, a step that Bayer โwelcome[d]โ in its public consultation response to the proposal. Bayer also suggested that Europeโs Common Agricultural Policy โ its system for distributing farm subsidies โ โshould be instrumental in driving adoption of digital and precision farming technologiesโ by subsidizing access to such technologies.48Bayer AG. โOur views on Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation,โ European Commission, September 19, 2022. Archived November 21, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Read more: Digital and Precision Agriculture โ Criticisms and Concerns
Regenerative Agriculture
Bayer says on its website that regenerative agriculture techniques such as reducing tillage can be used to reduce agricultureโs impact on climate change. โWith better weed-control solutions, farmers reduce the need to till, decreasing tractor passes over the field and allowing for less soil disruption.โ This technique โcurbs greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel useโ and helps sequester carbon, as โwhen soil is left untilled it is better able to store carbon, as well as nutrients and water.โ49โClimate Change,โ Bayer. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/y6n2j
In July 2020, Bayer launched a carbon capture program for U.S. and Brazilian farmers. The program reportedly โrequires that farmers enroll in [Bayerโs] Climate FieldView digital farming platform, where growers would log data about their eco-friendly farming practices such as no-till farming or planting cover crops.โ50Karl Plume. โBayer launches carbon capture programme for U.S. and Brazil farmers,โ Reuters, July 21, 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/GToXG
Speaking about the program, Begemann told Reuters, โif farmers are sequestering carbon to the benefit of society and the planet, they should be rewarded for it.โ51Karl Plume. โBayer launches carbon capture programme for U.S. and Brazil farmers,โ Reuters, July 21, 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/GToXG
According to a 2020 article from Bayer, โSoil is one of the most effective ways of sequestering carbon. Incentivizing farmers to embrace no-till, precision nitrogen use or cover crops helps further sequester carbon into the soil, reduce fossil fuel usage and reduce greenhouse gases. While today farmers get rewarded solely for their food, feed and fiber production, those participating in the Bayer Carbon Initiative will have the opportunity to be rewarded for their best farm management practices and other sustainability efforts as well.โ52โBayer takes steps to make carbon sequestration a farmerโs newest crop opportunity,โ Bayer, July 21, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/ip8Zg
However, Food Tank, a non-profit organization that works to reform the food system, has said that the company is โcashing in on the interestโ of soil carbon sequestration and regenerative agriculture methods.โ53Opinion: Why talk of regenerative agriculture should include pesticide reduction,โ FoodTalk, September 2019. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/P5lj6
Kendra Klein, senior staff scientist at Friends of the Earth, told Civil Eats, a news site that focuses on the American food system, that Bayerโs co-opting of regenerative farming concepts is a โcover for continuing a very resource-intensive, energy- and greenhouse gas-intensive form of agriculture.โ54Gosia Wozniacka. โWith Regenerative Agriculture Booming, the Question of Pesticides Looms Large,โ Civil Eats, September 5, 2019. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/RViMo
Klein argues that the company is promoting the controversial herbicide Roundup as a way to reduce tillage. She writes that โthese practices will only go so far toward building a sustainable food system if we donโt include pesticide reduction as a fundamental goal.โ55โOpinion: Why talk of regenerative agriculture should include pesticide reduction,โ FoodTalk, September 2019. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/P5lj6
In July 2020, Bayer launched the European segment of its global Carbon Initiative with the goal of achieving โdecarbonization of the food value chain focusing on farmersโ activities for a more resilient and sustainable food system.โ The program claims to be โin line with the political objectives of the EU Green Deal,โ and includes 25 participating farmers from France, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.56โBayer launches its decarbonization program for agriculture in Europe,โ Bayer, June 29, 2021. Archived July 7, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/gxWVD
Bayer said of the program:
โThe new European Carbon Program recognizes the pivotal role growers and their land can play in helping to create lasting, positive environmental impacts and is an integral part of Bayerโs sustainability commitments specifically aimed at reducing field greenhouse gas (GHG) emission by 30 [percent] in 2030.โ
In May 2021, Bayer joined the newly-founded โEuropean Carbon+Farming Coalition,โ which aimed to accelerate decarbonization of food systems by taking a โfarmer-centric approachโ focused on โincreasing the uptake of regenerative and climate-smart agriculture practices, identifying the roadblocks to adoption, [and] designing solutions with economic, practical and ecological benefits to farmers.โ The program is particularly focused on curbing carbon emissions due to disturbance of farmland soils, and sequestering carbon in these soils. Other partners in the initiative include chemicals giant BASF and fertilizer and agricultural products company Yara International ASA.57โNew Coalition Announces Bold Plan to Decarbonize Europeโs Food System,โ EITFood, May 4, 2021. Archived July 22, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/f0Mit
In September 2021, in opening remarks at the Bayer-sponsored POLITICO Future of Food & Farming Summit, Tremblay said that Bayer is supporting soil health and carbon farming by โworking directly with companies and organizations across the food value chainโ to create โcarbon farming models that work for farmers and other stakeholders in the food chain for moving towards climate neutrality.โ58โOpening Session & Interview with Tom. J. Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture | FFFS,โ YouTube video uploaded by user Politico Europe. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
Read more: Regenerative Agriculture โ Criticisms and Concerns
Genetically Modified Organisms
Gene editing in agriculture is the process of adding, enhancing or removing specific traits from the DNA of an organism. Genetic modification can make organisms more resistant to certain environmental conditions, including pests, chemicals, diseases and weather.59Nicholas G. Karavolias, Wilson Horner, Modesta N. Abugu, and Sarah N. Evanega. โApplication of Gene Editing for Climate Change in Agriculture,โ Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, September 7, 2021. Archived November 4, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kZlE6
Bayer has promoted new genomic techniques as a climate solution. During a sponsored segment at Politicoโs Future of Food and Farming Summit 2022, Bayer Crop Science head of research and development Bob Reiter suggested that NGTs were one of three key innovations for โa sustainable productive future.โ60Bob Reiter. โSponsored segment by Bayer – Agri-protection: innovating for a productive, sustainable future,โ POLITICO Future of Food and Farming Summit 2022, September 29, 2022.
Some studies show that the adoption of genetic modifications to make crops more insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant has reduced farmersโ need to spray pesticides, thereby decreasing the environmental impact associated with herbicide and insecticide use on these crops.61Graham Brookes and Simon Barfoot. โEnvironmental impacts of genetically modified (GM) crop use 1996-2016: Impacts on pesticide use and carbon emissions,โ GM Crops & Food, Archived April 16, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
But other studies suggest that while the widespread adoption of genetically modified crops has decreased the use of insecticides, it has also increased the need for herbicides as weeds become more resistant to the substances.62Caroline Newman. โLargest-Ever Study Reveals Environmental Impact of Genetically Modified Crops,โ UVATODAY, September 14, 2016. Archived October 29, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/BAPXC
Many studies conclude that there is still not enough data in order to assess the long term safety of such new crops, nor their environmental impact.63Aristidis M. Tsatsakis, Muhammad Amjad Nawaz, Demetrios Kouretas, Georgios Balias, Kai Savolainen, Victor A. Tutelyan, Kirill S. Golokhvast, Jeong Dong Lee, Seung Hwan Yang, Gyuhwa Chung. โEnvironmental impacts of genetically modified plants: A review,โ Environmental Research, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2017.03.011.
A 2021 survey by Ipsos found that a majority of European citizens want compulsory labeling on food products that indicates the presence of genetically modified ingredients.64Natasha Foote. โReport: majority of consumers want compulsory labelling on all genetically modified food,โ EURACTIV, April 7, 2021. Archived August 17, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/doeah
In July 2018, the European Court of Justice confirmed that gene-edited organisms created through new plant breeding techniques (NPBTs) fell under the EUโs GMO regulations and therefore were not allowed to be commercialized in Europe.65โDocument 62016CJ0528,โ EUR-Lex, July 25, 2018. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/77oaC In a 2018 EURACTIV article reporting on the decision, Jรณzsef Mรกtรฉ, Corporate Communications Leader at Corteva, commented that the decision was a โbad dayโ for the agri-food sector. According to EURACTIV, environmental groups welcomed the news, saying the court had prevented โnew GMOs” from entering the European market.66Sarantis Michalopoulos. โIndustry shocked by EU Court decision to put gene editing technique under GM law,โ EURACTIV, July 25, 2018. Archived April 30, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Y3VBP
However, in 2021 the European Commission conducted a study on the topic, which concluded that current legislation was โnot fit for purposeโ when it came to next generation techniques (NGTs). The Commission will bring a proposal on future regulation of NGTs, which it says will aim to โachieve the goals of the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy.โ67โEC study on new genomic techniques,โ European Commission. Archived November 16, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/3NzFf
A 2021 investigation by Corporate Europe Observatory looked into lobbying by companies including Bayer to water down the regulation of new GMOs, and lower standards for risk assessment, monitoring and labelling requirements. The investigation also detailed lobbying efforts by groups that represent agribusiness companies including Corteva, BASF and Syngenta.68โDerailing EU Rules on New GMOs,โ Corporate Europe Observatory, March 29, 2021. Archived October 9, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ES6n6
In 2020, NGOs and green groups including Corporate Europe Observatory and Greenpeace claimed that the agribusiness industry made up a majority of invited stakeholders to a meeting about an EU consultation regarding regulations for new gene editing techniques. Corporate Europe Observatoryโs Nina Holland told Politico Europe that 70 percent of the invited organizations represented food and farming interests, while NGOs accounted for only 12 percent. Franziska Achterberg, EU food policy director for Greenpeace, told Politico Europe that the consultation had โmultipl[ied] the voices of those most invested in new [genetically modified] technology, like Bayer, Syngenta and Corteva, who are simultaneously members of several invited groups.โ69Cristina Gonzalez. โPOLITICO EU Influence: Steel lobby mystery โ Gene editing row โ Croatian transparency update,โ Politico Europe, February 14, 2020. Archived April 18, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/rK01m
In March 2021, the European Commission recommended that EU GMO regulations should be updated to allow โtargeted gene editingโ in crops.70Florin Zubaศcu. โScientists and industry cheer outcome of Commission study on gene editing,โ Science | Business, May 4, 2021. Archived My 18, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/4bgT7 The commissionโs report, which was โwelcomedโ by industry, stated that the commission was in favor of reversing a 2018 ruling by the European Court of Justice which banned GMOs within Europe. In response to the report, Friends of the Earth Europe claimed that the related European Consultation on future legislation of GMOs, had โprioritize[d] the interests of the biotech sector.โ71โGreen light for new GMOs?,โ Friends of the Earth Europe. March 2021. Archived August 18, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mQOjV
Following the publication of the commissionโs report, an article in Science | Business headlined โBiotech lobbies gear up for gene editing regulation battle,โ72Florin Zubaศcu. โBiotech lobbies gear up for gene editing regulation battle,โ Science | Business, May 18, 2021. Archived May 18, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/UsPgq reported that Euroseeds, a trade association representing the European seed sector,73โWho We Are,โ Euroseeds. Archived August 13, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/5rmzS had commissioned a report from German research group HFFA Research, which calls itself an โindependent scientific consultancy on key issues in global agriculture, environment and development.โ The report claimed that over the past two decades, plant breeding has contributed 66 percent of annual productivity growth in agriculture, and estimated that without plant breeding, crop yields in the EU would have been 20.6 percent lower.74Steffen Noleppa, Matti Cartsburg. โThe socio-economic and environmental values of plant breeding in the EU and for selected EU member states,โ HFFA Research, 2021. Archived October 21, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. HFFA Research also works with BASF, Bayer, UPL Ltd, NuFarm, CropLife International and Fertilizers Europe.75โClients,โ HFFA Research. Archived August 13, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/MYbrK
A webpage titled โagricultureโs role in addressing a changing climateโ on Bayer’s website stated that, as of November 2021, Bayer was investing in plant breeding technologies as part of its development of โclimate-smartโ agricultural solutions.76โAgricultureโs role in addressing climate change,โ Bayer. Archived November 29, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/SFFUN Bayer echoes that idea in a podcast episode about gene editing, claiming the technology โhas the potential to solve real challenges for farmers and the planet, like reducing the need for pesticides and the use of energy, land, and water.โ77โDesigning the Needle: How Gene Editing Can Transform Our Health and Planet,โ Podcast episode uploaded by Bayer, July 2, 2020. Archived April 21, 2021. Archived .mp3 on file at DeSmog.
In a sponsored post on Politico Europe in 2020, Bayer regional head for Europe, the Middle East and Africa Bruno Tremblay, said that gene editing was both safe and โfundamentalโ for achieving the goals of the EU Green Deal. He added: โThe EU needs to find a balanced policy and reverse legislation that blocks new plant breeding tools. Otherwise, Europe could miss out on one of the most promising innovations of our lifetime to enable more sustainable resilient food systems.โ78Bruno Tremblay. โSmart and sustainable food systems,โ Politico Europe, December 9, 2020. Archived October 6, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/aJfc6
In an October 2021 article, Farmers Guardian reported that according to Liam Condon, president of crop science at Bayer, the company is “very actively” trying to change the EU’s GMO regulations. Condon added that the company is โpromoting very strongly that regulations should catch up with technology and allow this technology to be used, [not only] for the benefit of Europeans, but also for the benefit of others all over the world who look to Europe for regulations.โ79Alice Dyer. โPlant breeders engaging โvery activelyโ for gene editing regulations to change in Europe,โ October 15, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
In September 2021, Tremblay gave opening remarks for the Politico Europe Future of Food & Farming Summit, which Bayer sponsored as leading partner. Tremblay said that โBayer wants to encourage the conversation around entities. And regulations should ensure that it is fit for purpose.โ He also said that Bayerโs โnew genomic techniquesโ could โcontribute to the Green Dealโs objective by enabling and accelerating the development of more resilient seed varieties.โ80“Opening Session & Interview with Tom. J. Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture | FFFS,โ YouTube video uploaded by user Politico Europe. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
In 2012, Bayer, BASF, Corteva and Syngenta founded the Agricultural Biotechnology Council (ABC) in the United Kingdom with the goal to โprovide factual information and education about the agricultural use of GM technology in the UK.โ81โAbout ABC,โ Agricultural Biotechnology Council. Archived January 21, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/qB0XO
Ahead of the November 2021 international climate conference, COP26, ABC chair Mark Buckingham said, โAs all of us deal with the impact of climate change and environmental extremes, it is vital that we are equipped to access all the tools available. If UK food production is to remain both resilient and sustainable farmers must have access to technologies like gene editing.โ82โBRITONS WANT FARMING ON THE AGENDA FOR COP26 โ AND WANT FARMERS TO HAVE ACCESS TO AGRICULTURAL INNOVATIONS TO RESPOND TO CLIMATE CRISIS,โ Agricultural Biotechnology Council. Archived September 21, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/cjtSs
Corporate watchdog organization Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) has suggested that Bayer is promoting the deregulation of gene editing in light of European targets to reduce pesticide use. A CEO report in March 2022 stated: โWhile fighting [pesticide] reduction targets tooth and nail, corporations like Bayer also lobby heavily for the deregulation of GM seeds from new techniques like CRISPR-Cas and push digital tools for farmers. This is part of their new business model, to make up for [a reduction in] or in addition to pesticide sales.โ83โA loud lobby for a silent spring: The pesticide industryโs lobbying tactics against Farm to Fork,โ Corporate Europe Observatory, March 17, 2022. Archived July 26, 2022. Archive PDF: https://archive.ph/hpFb3
CEO particularly criticized Bayerโs promotion of genetically modified, herbicide-tolerant (HT) soybeans as โsustainableโ in EU Green Deal discussions, and pointed out that they are โliterally designed to be applied with pesticides.โ CEO wrote that Bayer had been โmaking absurd claims that herbicide-tolerant soy is a โcritical part of the solution to stop deforestation, not the root cause of deforestationโ, because, Bayer claims, they would generate high yields therefore you need less land.โ84โA loud lobby for a silent spring: The pesticide industryโs lobbying tactics against Farm to Fork,โ Corporate Europe Observatory, March 17, 2022. Archived July 26, 2022. Archive PDF: https://archive.ph/hpFb3
In May 2021, Euroseeds โ a European seed sector trade group of which Bayer is a member โ hired consultancy firm HFFA Research to assess whether plant breeding could โcompensate [for] production losses potentially resulting fromโ the EUโs Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies.85Steffen Noleppa, Matti Cartsburg. โThe socio-economic and environmental values of plant breeding in the EU and for selected EU member states,โ HFFA Research, May 2021. Archived July 21, 2022. Archive URL: http://archive.today/5p4z3
The study concluded that “without accelerating plant breeding in the EU in the futureโ the objectives of the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies โcan hardly be achieved.” HFFA provided a series of recommendations, including using โall available technologies,โ including plant breeding technologies, and ensuring that policy and regulatory frameworks โencourage and [do] not hinder the … necessary investments into future plant breeding.โ86Steffen Noleppa, Matti Cartsburg. โThe socio-economic and environmental values of plant breeding in the EU and for selected EU member states,โ HFFA Research, May 2021. Archived July 21, 2022. Archive URL: http://archive.today/5p4z3
Corporate Europe Observatory commented that the HFFA Research study โreplicates the GM lobbyโs regulatory wish-list.โ87โA loud lobby for a silent spring: The pesticide industryโs lobbying tactics against Farm to Fork.โ Corporate Europe Observatory, March 17, 2022. Archived July 26, 2022. Archive PDF: https://archive.ph/hpFb3
Role in Pesticides Controversy
Bayer has been subject to lawsuits and controversy over a number of its pesticides products, including glyphosate and neonicotinoids, as well as its lobbying against policies designed to reduce the use of agrochemicals like pesticides in farming.
U.S. Lawsuits
In 2018, Bayer acquired Monsanto into its crop science division, and in the process acquired the globeโs best-known herbicide. In March 2020, Bloomberg reported that Bayer would pay US$39.5 million to settle lawsuits regarding false advertising about Roundup.88Jef Feeley. โBayer Pays $39.5 Million to Settle Roundup false-Ad Lawsuits,โ Bloomberg, March 30, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/QLKkf In June 2020, Bayer agreed to pay US$10 billion to โto settle tens of thousands of claimsโ that Roundup causes cancer, โwhile continuing to sell the product without adding warning labels about its safetyโ according to The New York Times.89Patricia Cohen. โRoundup Maker to pay $10 Billion to settle cancer suits,โ New York Times, June 24, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/qfCEV
In July 2019, the Financial Times reported that the number of lawsuits against Bayer alleging a link between Roundup and cancer had jumped from 13,400 to 18,400 in three months.90Tobias Buck. โBayer faces 5,000 new lawsuits over pesticide cancer claims,โFinancial Times, July 30, 2019. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/VdlYh
Bayer, along with BASF, was sued by a farmer who alleged that his peach orchard was destroyed after dicamba weedkiller drifted over from nearby fields. The companies were ordered to pay the farmer US$15 million in actual damages and US$250 million in fines, the BBC reported in February 2020.91โGerman firms Bayer and BASF fight $265 Million U.S. fine over weedkiller,โ BBC News, February 17, 2020. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/Fpbw9
Neonicotinoids
Bayer, along with Syngenta, was criticized for secrecy in 2016 after unpublished field trials on their neonicotinoid insecticides โshow[ed] their products cause serious harm to honeybees at high levels,โ according to the Guardian.92Damian Carrington. โPesticide manufacturerโs own tests reveal serious harm to honeybees,โ The Guardian, September 22, 2016. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/bTWKu The companies both went to the European Court of Justice to get EU restrictions on neonicotinoids overturned. The court ruled that the EU had correctly applied its โprecautionary principle.โ93โBee crisis: EU backs near-total neonicotinoids ban,โ BBC News, May 17, 2018. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/QVZAY
Pesticides containing neonicotinoids were banned in Europe for two years in 2013 over fears these substances were contributing to declining bee populations. According to The New York Times, Bayer and Syngenta โ the two pesticide companies that make neonicotinoids in Europe โ said they โwere willing to finance additional research, but that the current data do not justify a ban.โ94David Jolly. โEurope bans pesticides thought harmful to bees,โ The New York Times, April 29, 2013. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/8iYMd In 2018 the EU voted for a total ban on use of neonicotinoids.95Damian Carrington. โEU agrees total ban on bee-harming pesticides,โ The Guardian, April 27, 2018. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/lutrO
In May 2021, The European Court of Justice dismissed Bayerโs appeal of a 2018 ruling which restricted the use of three active substances used in neonicotinoids: imidacloprid, developed by Bayer; clothianidin, developed by Takeda Chemical Industries and Bayer; and thiamethoxam, developed by Syngenta.96Kate Abnett. โEU top court upholds ban on Bayer pesticides linked to harming bees,โ Reuters, May 6, 2021. Archived November 29, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/9Ubip
In response to the dismissal, Bayer said that while it accepted the 2018 decision to broadly restrict the use of certain neonicotinoids in agriculture, it โstands by the safety of its productsโ and โreiterates the value that these products have for farmers in managing pests effectively.โ A spokesperson for Bayer added that the decision โseems to allow the [European] Commission almost carte blanche to review existing approvals upon the slightest evidence, which need not even be new scientific data.”97Stephanie Bodoni. โBayer Loses Fight Over Chemicals EU Blamed for Killing Bees,โ Bloomberg, May 6, 2021. Archived May 6, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/LrF4M
EU pesticides controversy
In June 2023, Swedish academics found that Bayer and Syngenta withheld nine brain toxicity studies from European regulators for between 14 and 21 years during approval processes for a number of pesticides. The researchers found that of the 35 studies submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency for the pesticide approval process, nine were not sent to the EU authorities for the approval of the same pesticides.ย 98Mie and Rรบden, โNon-disclosure of developmental neurotoxicity studies obstructs the safety assessment of pesticides in the European Union,โ Environmental Health, June 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-023-00994-9 Archive .pdf on file at DeSmog.
The results of the omitted studies included changes in brain size, delayed sexual maturation and reduced weight gain in offspring of pregnant rats exposed to a pesticide. Some of the pesticides included in the study – abamectin, ethoprophos and pyridaben – are or have been used on crops such as tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes, and aubergines.
Both companies were accused by MEPs of โbreaching legal obligations and unethical behaviourโ.99Damien Carrington, โPesticide firms withheld brain toxicity studies from EU regulators, study finds,โ The Guardian, June 1, 2023. Archived August 21, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/L1sumย
Bayer and Syngenta rejected the accusations and said that they had provided all relevant studies.
EU Farm to Fork
In March 2020, Bayer published a position paper responding to the 50 percent pesticide reduction targets set in the European Green Dealโs Farm to Fork strategy,100โFarm to Fork Strategy: Bayerโs contribution to the Roadmap public consultation,โ Bayer, March 16, 2020. Archived November 29, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. as well as the strategy’s goal of reserving 25 percent of agricultural land for organic farming.101โWhat’s in the EU’s new agri-food, biodiversity policy,โ EU Observer, May 20, 2021. Archived November 30, 2021, Archive URL: https://archive.ph/wip/8Lgsk
The paper stated that Bayer โbelieve[s] that the sustainable use of pesticides should focus on reducing the risk and impact of their usage on the environment rather than reducing their use.โ Bayer added that it has โmade a commitment reduce the environmental impact of crop protectionโ by 30 percent by 2030, saying it would achieve this commitment with โa combination of innovative tools including – but not limited to – modern application technologies, mitigation measures (reducing off-target effects of pesticides), compounds with better environmental profiles as well as the increased use of biologics and breeding.โ102โFarm to Fork Strategy: Bayerโs contribution to the Roadmap public consultation,โ Bayer, March 16, 2020. Archived November 29, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Bayer reiterated calls to focus on the risk and impact rather than the use of pesticides in its September 2022 response to the European Commissionโs proposed revision of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive. The revision would translate the Farm to Fork pesticide targets into binding legislation. Bayer argued that the focus on use would move Europe โaway from the Farm to Forkโs objective of building a more sustainable food production system capable of delivery benefits such as food security and affordability, climate resilience and a fair income for farmers.โ103Bayer AG. โOur views on Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation,โ European Commission, September 19, 2022. Archived November 21, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
The company argued, โwithout knowing what the impact of pesticide usage on the environment is, policy makers have no basis to establish whether additional restrictions are needed and where they are needed.โ However, the environmental harms of overall pesticide use have been extensively documented by scientists.104Bayer AG. โOur views on Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation,โ European Commission, September 19, 2022. Archived November 21, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) has suggested that the focus on reduction in pesticide risk rather than use may be a delay tactic and an โattempt to undermine effective EU action by demanding that only the risk of certain pesticides, and not the overall quantities used, should be subject to reduction targets.โ CEO also reported that Bayer had recommended that โrather than speaking about reducing volumes [of pesticides] we need to focus on reducing the environmental impact,โ and pointed to Bayer and Syngentaโs lawsuit against the European Commission for โbanning three pollinator-killing insecticides,โ noting that the companies โearn roughly one third of their profits from Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs).โ105โA loud lobby for a silent spring: The pesticide industryโs lobbying tactics against Farm to Fork.โ Corporate Europe Observatory, March 17, 2022. Archived July 26, 2022. Archive PDF: https://archive.ph/hpFb3
In March 2022, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) published a report which stated that Bayer was one of several pesticide companies involved in โa counter-lobby of huge proportionsโ against the EU Farm to Fork strategy. It identified Bayer and organizations of which it is a member as using a number of tactics designed to undermine EU targets. CEO stated that CropLife Europe and Euroseeds (two industry groups of which Bayer was a member) had โpaid for partial impact studies to scaremonger about economic losses while painting an unfair picture.โ106โA loud lobby for a silent spring: The pesticide industryโs lobbying tactics against Farm to Fork,โ Corporate Europe Observatory, March 17, 2022. Archived July 26, 2022. Archive PDF: https://archive.ph/hpFb3
The report found that Bayer had sponsored a daily agriculture news roundup published by Politico for one week in February 2022, which included โmessages from Bayerโ like:107โA loud lobby for a silent spring: The pesticide industryโs lobbying tactics against Farm to Fork.โ Corporate Europe Observatory, March 17, 2022. Archived July 26, 2022. Archive PDF: https://archive.ph/hpFb3
โGoing green sets ambitious targets for the transition of food production systems. Crop production in the EU could fall if the targets of the Green Deal were fully implemented. Inevitably, we will need to import more food and export less. Rising world food prices will trigger an expansion of agricultural production in regions with less ambitious sustainability targets. … Innovation is key! New breeding techniques and digital farming have the potential to respond to growing food demand while requiring fewer resources.โ
In October 2021, days before the European Parliamentโs vote on Farm to Fork, a website โpowered by Bayer and Syngentaโ called Swiss Food published an article titled โAgricultural production in the EU to drop by 20 percent.โ It claimed that the European Green Deal would โreduce the amount of agricultural production in the EU and lower farmersโ incomesโ while the EU would be forced to โimport more agricultural goodsโ while โconsumers would pay higher prices.โ The article added: โMoreover, land use would increase in the rest of the world. This has been confirmed by several studies.โ108โAgricultural production in the EU to drop by 20 percent,โ Swiss Food, October 15, 2021. Archived December 7, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/teLSX
The study cited was conducted by Wageningen University and Research, and was funded and โguidedโ by CropLife Europe and CropLife International โ of which both Bayer and Syngenta are members โ and involved โother stakeholders in the food supply chain,โ though the article did not disclose the industryโs involvement in the study.109Johan Bremmer, Ana Gonzalez-Martinez, Roel Jongeneel, Hilfred Huiting, Rob Stokkers, Marc Ruijs. โImpact Assessment of EC 2030 Green Deal Targets for Sustainable Crop Production,โ Wageningen University and Research, December 2021. Archived September 12, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
The studies cited have been criticized by scientists, NGOs, and the European Commission, which released a statement that said the impact assessments โare not able to assess the full impacts of the two strategies and predict the future. For instance, the future consumer behavioural changes, the impact of research and innovation or technological uptake in the agricultural sector have not, or partially, been taken into account.โ110โGreen Deal 2030 targets and agricultural production studies,โ News Article, Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission, October 18, 2021. Archived July 22, 2022. Archive URL: http://archive.today/9MJmE
In October 2020, an investigation by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) also claimed that Bayer was one of several corporations actively engaging with member states and European Parliament members in attempts to water down the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform.111โCAP vs Farm to Fork: Will we pay billions to destroy, or to support biodiversity, climate, and farmers?,โ Corporate Europe Observatory, October 12, 2020. Archived September 4,, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/erl3Y Advocates, including Corporate Europe Observatory, had hoped that the CAP would be brought into alignment with Farm to Fork targets and the Biodiversity Strategy.
Bayer has also lobbied on the 2022 revision of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive (SUD). Since its inception in 2009, SUD has suggested that pesticides should only be used as a โlast resortโ intervention on farms. During 2022, SUD was reviewed by the European Commission to align it with Farm to Fork targets, and to make a 50 percent pesticide reduction target legally binding.
Bayer submitted a public consultation response to the Commissionโs proposal for the SUD revision in September 2022, arguing against SUDโs longstanding suggestion that pesticides should be a last resort. Bayer said this approach risked โhaving a severely detrimental effect on agricultural productionโ and โdenies the fact that chemical crop protection today plays an important role before, during and after the growing cycle.โ Bayer called for revisions to the proposal that pesticides should be banned in sensitive areas such as public parks, arguing that the Commissionโs current approach risked โalienatingโ farmers, and argued against suggestions that Member States should target reductions at the five most widely used pesticides in their countries.
Bayer also suggested that the Revision should focus on supporting innovations, such as digital and precision farming, and use of drone technologies.112Bayer AG. โOur views on Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation,โ European Commission, September 19, 2022. Archived November 21, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
According to Corporate Europe Observatory, Bayer, Syngenta, BASF, and Corteva all spoke at the March 2022 CropLife Europe Conference. The event, which was scheduled in the run-up to the European Commission’s expected publication of its proposal for the revised SUD, involved high-level Commission officials and covered topics including the SUD revision, the 50 percent reduction of pesticides target, and pesticide standards and trade, according to CEO.113โA loud lobby for a silent spring: The pesticide industryโs lobbying tactics against Farm to Fork.โ Corporate Europe Observatory, March 17, 2022. Archived July 26, 2022. Archive PDF: https://archive.ph/hpFb3
Lobbying
According to OpenSecrets, Bayer reported US$9,140,000 in lobbying expenses in the U.S. in 2019. This was down from US$12,310,000 in 2018, and US$13,740,000 in 2017.
U.S. agencies listed to have been lobbied by Bayer on OpenSecrets in 2019 are:114โClient Profile: Bayer AG,โ OpenSecrets. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/S0X4v
- Council on Environmental Quality
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of State
- Department of the Interior
- Department of the Treasury
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Executive Office of the President
- Food and Drug Administration
- Internal Revenue Service
- National Economic Council
- National Security Council
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- Office of U.S. Trade Representative
- Patent and Trademark Office
- Small Business Administration
- U.S. Agency for International Development
- White House
As part of the companyโs overview of its political engagement, Bayer states that it does not make any direct donations to political parties, politicians, or candidates. However, the overview notes that โsome associations of which [Bayer] is a member make donations on their initiative.โ115โOur Political Principles and Positions,โ Bayer Global. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/I2hE5
Bayer also notes that โbecause political contributions in the United States of America are protected by law, some employees choose to donate to Bayerโs Employee Political Action Committee (known as BAYERPAC) to support legislative candidates. BAYERPAC, like all Political Action Committees (PACs), is highly regulated, and maintains an independent governance board comprised of Bayer employees from across the businesses.โ116โOur Principles and Positions on Political Engagementโ, Bayer. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/MuJUB
According to OpenSecrets, Bayer affiliates made donations of $987,543 in 2020.117โBayer,โ OpenSecrets.org. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ff3l2
According to a 2022 investigation by Investigate Europe, EU data shows that Bayer is โthe pesticide producer with the highest [lobbying] budget [in the EU], more than โฌ4.25 million per year. Only Google, Facebook, and Microsoft have higher annual lobbying expenditures.โ118Attila Kรกlmรกn and Paulo Pena. โIn Brussels, the multi-billion Euro pesticide business is everywhere,โ Investigate Europe, June 24, 2022. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/J6GOR
On its website, Bayer acknowledges that it engages politically on the following topics: intellectual property, policymaking, post-clinical-trial access, and trade.119โOur Political Principles and Positions,โ Bayer Global. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/I2hE5
Bayer is registered on the EU transparency register for lobbying, which states that the organizationโs fields of interest include climate action.120โTransparency Register,โ Europa, December 17, 2008. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/estSR
According to the Transparency Register, Bayer spent between โฌ4,250,000 – โฌ4,499,999 in 2020.121โBayer AG,โ European Transparency Register. Archived November 22, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/R4oS0
Bayer is a client of lobby consultancies registered within the European Union. In 2020, Bayer spent between โฌ100,000 and โฌ199,999 on the services of FIPRA International SRL, between โฌ200,000 – โฌ299,999 on the services of EPPA S.A, , and between โฌ500,000 – โฌ599,999 on the services of Rud Pedersen Consulting.
In 2021, Bayer spent between over โฌ1 million on the services of Rud Pedersen, โฌ100,000 – 199,999 on the services of Edelman, and โฌ300,000 – 399,999 on those of Eutop. It also spent โฌ100,000 – 199,999 on the services of Hume Brophy.122โBayer,โ EU Transparency Register, July 13, 2022. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/a8AHB
Hume Brophy runs the Glyphosate Renewal Group, of which Bayer is the lead member.123โTerms and Conditionsโ, Glyphosate Renewal Group. Archived August 31, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/RuEkX 124โMinutes of the pre-presubmission meeting AGG-GTF2 on the renewal of Glyphosateโ, European Commission Food Safety, July 4, 2019. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/GAGi8
Since 2015, Bayer has registered 40 meetings with Commissioners, Members of their Cabinet or Director-Generals of the EU.125โMeetings โ Bayerโ, European Commission Transparency Register, September 6, 2022. Archived September 6, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
A 2017 report by Influence Map tracked 50 large corporations judged most influential in shaping climate policy globally. The project found that 35 of the 50 were actively lobbying against policies to act on climate change. Bayer was included on the list alongside other corporations including Koch Industries, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and Dow Chemical.126โCorporate Carbon Policy Footprint,โ InfluenceMap, September 2017. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/tNNTz
Glyphosate Lobbying
Much of Bayerโs lobbying has involved defense of glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Roundup, the herbicide that has led to thousands of lawsuits against Bayer and Monsanto.
According to the European Trade Union Institute, Bayer has been represented by the European Crop Protection Association (since renamed CropLife Europe), which โaggressively pushes for weak regulation of pesticides and GMOs.โ In 2016 the ECPA declared a lobbying spend of between โฌ600,000 – โฌ700,000. The ECPA and Bayer have lobbied against EU action on neonicotinoid pesticides. Monsanto has also spent hundreds of thousands on defending glyphosate use. One of the companyโs lobbyists, Richard Garnett, was the chair of the Glyphosate Task Force, an industry lobby group, which has since been renamed the Glyphosate Renewal Group (GRG).127Olivier Hoedeman. โThe world of EU lobbying in Brussels,โ HesaMag. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/x6VJY
In late 2019, Bayer Head of Public and Government Affairs Matthias Berninger reportedly told German business newspaper Handelsblatt that glyphosate was โgood for the climate.โ128Helen Buyniski. โBayer-Monsantoโs secret weapon: Ex-Green lobbyist to tell the world its cancer-linked weedkiller will save the climate,โ RT, January 8, 2020. Archived November 9, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/BrlNB Berninger was a member of The Greens, a green political party in Germany, from 1990 to 2007, and from 2001 to 2005 served as Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. A subsequent article by RT described Berninger an โex-Green lobbyistโ and Bayer and Monsantoโs โsecret weaponโ.129โMatthias Berninger Alliance 90/The Greens,โ The Bundestag. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/0QtIj#selection-1384.0-1394.0
In 2019, โโBob Reiter, Bayerโs head of research, told EURACTIV that glyphosate might be a โonce in a lifetime productโ and no โmagicalโ alternative to glyphosate is going to appear in the market.130Sarantis Michalopoulos. โNo โmagicalโ alternative to glyphosate in the next 5 years, Bayer official says,โ EURACTIV, October 2, 2019. Archived August 24, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/LWUCt
In August 2021, Bayer lost its third appeal of a U.S. federal court ruling that awarded damages to customers charging that exposure to Bayerโs glyphosate-based weedkiller Roundup had caused their cancers.131โBayer loses third appeals case over glyphosate weedkiller,โ Reuters, August 10, 2021. Archived September 13, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/KOno3
In 2021, the Institute of Cancer Research at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria issued the results of a study that reviewed more than 50 glyphosate-related safety studies submitted to regulators by large chemical companies, including Syngenta and Bayer. Speaking to The Guardian about the findings of the study, the lead author said that the โqualityโ of โmany of the studiesโ analyzed was โvery poorโ. In response to the findings, Bayer said that the package of studies submitted to regulators is โone of the most extensive scientific dossiers ever compiled for a pesticide active ingredient.โ132Carey Gillam. โCorporate studies asserting herbicide safety show many flaws, new analysis finds,โ The Guardian, July 2, 2021. Archived November 29, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/WsitV
In March 2020, the Guardian revealed that Monsanto had secretly funded academic studies on glyphosate that claimed โvery severe impactsโ on farming would result if glyphosate was banned. According to the Guardian, Monsanto funded the studies before it was acquired by Bayer. Bayer stated that โthe studiesโ failure to disclose their funding broke [its] principles.โ133Damian Carrington. โRevealed: Monsantoโs secret funding for weedkiller studies,โ The Guardian, March 12, 2020. Archived November 28, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/gGRuA
In November 2021, the Glyphosate Renewal Group organized an event titled โCan glyphosate play a role in achieving greater biodiversity?โ with EURACTIV.134โPolicy Dialogue: Can Glyphosate play a role in achieving greater biodiversity?,โ EURACTIV, November 4, 2021. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog. The event featured Bayer Head of Environmental Safety Virginie Ducrot, who stated that all studies provided to the EFSA and other regulatory bodies involved in the reassessment of glyphosate were available on the Glyphosate Renewal Groupโs website.135โOur commitment to transparency,โ Glyphosate Renewal Group. Archived December 1, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/lFrYS
In August 2021, Bayer stated that it would be willing to remove glyphosate from the U.S. lawn and garden market. The company stated that a new version of the weedkiller Roundup, which has historically contained glyphosate, would rely on โalternative active ingredients,โ which would need to be approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.136Tim Loh and Jef Feeley. โBayerโs Roundup Costs Could Top US$16 Billion as Provisions Mount,โ Bloomberg, July 29, 2021. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
In September 2020, Reuters reported that Bayer and the U.S. government had cooperated in late 2019 to lobby Thailand to reverse its ban on glyphosate.137Patpicha Tanakasempipat. โExclusive: In the weeds – How Bayer, U.S. government teamed up against Thailand’s glyphosate ban,โ September 17, 2020. Archived November 29, 2021. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/f25ub
In February 2021, the Guardian revealed that Bayer and trade association CropLife America had been working with U.S. officials to pressure Mexico into abandoning its intended ban on glyphosate.Carey Gillam.138โRevealed: Monsanto owner and US officials pressured Mexico to drop glyphosate ban,โ The Guardian, February 16, 2021. Archived November 29, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.fo/pzwn3
EU Glyphosate Renewal
In 2017, the European Commission granted a five-year approval for glyphosate, ending in December 2022.139“COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2017/2324,” Official Journal of the European Union, December 15, 2017. Archived December 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Ag56f
Bayer is a member of the Glyphosate Renewal Group, a coalition of European agrochemical companies lobbying the EU to renew its authorization of glyphosate.140“What is the Glyphosate Renewal Group,” Glyphosate Renewal Group. Archived January 3, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/53rmx Bayer is described as the โlead memberโ of the group โand consequently handles the contact with authorities.โ141โMinutes of the pre-presubmission meeting AGG-GTF2 on the renewal of Glyphosate,โ European Commission Food Safety, July 4, 2019. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/GAGi8 The Glyphosate Renewal Group has submitted an application for the renewed approval of the herbicide in the EU, the outcome of which will be announced in mid-2023.
The GRG and its members argue that a ban on glyphosate would have negative environmental repercussions. At a GRG-hosted event in November 2021, a representative of Bayer claimed that a ban on glyphosate would require farmers to use a mix of other pesticides to substitute their product, which may create more harm to the environment than using glyphosate.142โPolicy Dialogue: Can Glyphosate play a role in achieving greater biodiversity?,โ EURACTIV, November 4, 2021. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
In September 2022, Bayer funded an Impact Assessment examining โthe loss of glyphosate within the EUโ by environmental consultancy ADAS. According to the study, it was โsupported by the Glyphosate Renewal Group.โ143Sarah Wynn and Elise Webb. โImpact assessment of the loss of glyphosate within the EU: a literature review,โ Environmental Sciences Europe, September 2022. Archived October 11, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
The study found that without glyphosate, EU farmers could experience billions of pounds in yield losses. The authors concluded: โYield losses and increased farm level-costs will affect the global competitiveness of EU agriculture, the ability of the EU to be self-sufficient in food, and the trade balance contributions of agricultural commodities that are exported.โ However, the study did not consider negative impacts of glyphosate on health or the environment (or associated economic costs), instead listing the chemicalโs โenvironmental benefits.โ144Sarah Wynn and Elise Webb. โImpact assessment of the loss of glyphosate within the EU: a literature review,โ Environmental Sciences Europe, September 2022. Archived October 11, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Several NGOs have suggested that there may be pro-industry bias in the European approval process for glyphosate.
In 2017 it was found that multiple sections of the EUโs assessment in favour of glyphosate had been copied and pasted directly from the GFTโs application.145Arthur Nelson. โEU report on weedkiller safety copied text from Monsanto study,โ The Guardian, September 15, 2017. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/3XPvb A 2019 study by the European Parliament found that half of the text in chapters looking at academic studies on the health risks from glyphosate had been copied and pasted, and that as much as 96 percent of the section on the genotoxicity of glyphosate had been directly copied.โ146Stefan Weber and Helmut Burtscher-Schaden. โDetailed Expert Report on Plagiarism and superordinated Copy Paste in the Renewal Assessment Report (RAR) on Glyphosate,โ The Left in the European Parliament, January 2019. Archived September 6, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
In response to the GRGโs application for renewal in 2020, Hans Muilerman of Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe stated: โThe root of the problem is and remains that industry is testing its own products, a historical mistake in EU law.โ
โOnly industry studies are considered, the ones with the conflict of interest,โ Muilerman told media outlet ENDS Europe, citing a PAN Europe report from 2018. โAnd this will lead to the conclusion that glyphosate is safe, as EFSA did [previously].โ147Robert Hodegson. โChemicals lobby makes case for glyphosate licence renewal,โ ENDS Europe, republished on PAN Europe website, June 12, 2020. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/f9S1f
Bayer responded to PAN Europeโs comments by stating that it โstrongly disagreedโ with the suggestion that chemical firms could cherry-pick scientific papers used to inform the EU approval process.148Robert Hodegson. โChemicals lobby makes case for glyphosate licence renewal,โ ENDS Europe, republished on PAN Europe website, June 12, 2020. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/f9S1f
The final decision on glyphosateโs renewal was delayed in 2022 after the European Union received an โunprecedented number of commentsโ during public consultation on the issue. The assessment is due to be finalized mid-2023. 149Julia Dahm. โEU agencies push back glyphosate assessment to mid-2023,โ Euractiv, May 11, 2022. Archived September 7, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ZaGI5
Lobbying for trade deal to increase pesticide exports
In April 2022, environmental NGO Friends of the Earth Europe and EU-focused NGO Seattle to Brussels Network published a report on the proposed EU-Mercosur trade deal, which would affect trade between the EU and the Mercosur countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.150Larissa Mies Bombardi, Audrey Changoe. โToxic Trading: The EU pesticide lobbyโs offensive in Brazil,โ Friends of the Earth Europe and Seattle to Brussels Network, April 2022. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/DHPVz
The report stated that if ratified, the deal โwill heavily increase crop exports to Europe, and imports of dangerous agrochemicals to South America, particularly Brazil,โ and that the potential for increased agricultural exports โrisks aggravating existing problems with the conversion of forests and other important ecosystems for agriculture, and adds to the toxic burden of pesticide-intensive agriculture on nature and local communities.โ
The report also highlighted that European agrochemical giants including Bayer and BASF โhave been promoting the EU-Mercosur trade deal through lobby groupsโ and โsought to increase market access for some of their most harmful pesticides by joining forces with Brazilian agribusiness associations.โ The report claimed that European companies work with agribusiness lobby groups like CropLife Brasil (which was founded by Bayer) to water down environmental policies, writing: โTheir joint lobby efforts have borne fruit: pesticide use has multiplied sixfold over the last 20 years and a record number of new pesticides has been approved in Brazil since Jair Bolsonaro came to power.โ
The report added that Bayer and BASF have benefitted from the proposed deal and government support for pesticides, writing: โTogether, Bayer and BASF have got 45 new pesticides approved over the last three years, 19 of which contain substances prohibited in the European Union.151Larissa Mies Bombardi, Audrey Changoe. โToxic Trading: The EU pesticide lobbyโs offensive in Brazil,โ Friends of the Earth Europe and Seattle to Brussels Network, April 2022. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/DHPVz
A September 2020 report by Public Eye likewise found that: โIn 2018, some 30 companies exported banned pesticides from European soil, including German giants Bayer and BASF.โ152Laurent Gaberell and Gรฉraldine Viret. โBanned in Europe: How the EU exports pesticides too dangerous for use in Europe,โ Public Eye, September 10, 2020. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/HStYl
Affiliations
Bayer is a member of CropLife International, which has described itself as โa global trade association of agrochemical companies representing the plant science industry.โ CropLife has six member companies: FMC, BASF, Bayer, Corteva Agriscience, Syngenta and UPL.
According to the EU Transparency Register, Bayer is a member of the following trade associations:153โBayer,โ European Union Transparency Register. Archived September 7, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/8X5ed
- Business Europe
- European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC)
- European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries Association (EFPIA)
- the Association of the European Self-Medication Industry (AESGP)
- CropLife Europe (CLE)
- Euroseeds
- Cosmetics Europe
- DIGITALEUROPE
- European Justice Forum
- Food Supplements Europe
As of September 2022, Bayer was no longer listed as a member of the American Chemistry Council, a U.S. chemical industry lobbying organization.154โMember Companies,โ American Chemistry Council. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/jP5B8 155โManufacturer Members,โ American Chemistry Council. Archived September 7, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/rkx1O
Bayer was a member of the UK’s Crop Protection Association, since renamed CropLife UK, but is no longer listed as a member.156โWho We Are,โ Crop Protection Association. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/oDGer
In 2019, The New York Times reported that โStaff members from Copa-Cogeca, the agricultural company Bayer and the European Commission formed a group called the Young Food Policy Network, which hosts happy hours for government and business officials.โ157Matt Apuzzo and Salem Gebrekidan. โWho Keeps Europeโs Farm Billions Flowing: Often Those Who Benefit,โ The New York Times, December 11, 2019. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/82Lnl
In June 2020, an American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) logo was featured on a one-pager for a U.S. Department of Agriculture carbon credit certification program bill, alongside the logos of a number of agribusinesses including Bayer, Syngenta, and Corteva.158Senator Braun et al. โThe Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2020,โ United States Senate. Archived November 10, 2020. Archive URL: https://archive.vn/x7Yc2
In May 2021, Bayer CropScience was announced as a founding member of the European Carbon+ Farming Coalition.159โEU Carbon+ Farming Coalition,โ World Economic Forum. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/20FNt According to the United Nations, the Coalition โwas launched as part of a larger effort to transform global food systems, under the auspices of the WEF [World Economic Forum]. It aims to promote regenerative and climate-smart practices to better Manage Europeโs farmlands, contributing to the decarbonization of the European food system, healthier soils and more resilient farms.โ160Lera Miles, Raquel Agra, Sandeep Sengupta, Adriana Vidal, Barney Dickson. โNature-based solutions for climate change mitigation,โ United Nations Environment Programme and International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2021. Archived September 6, 2022. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. The majority of partners in the Coalition are corporations, including BASF and Syngenta Group, alongside just one university and one NGO.161โEU Carbon+ Farming Coalition,โ World Economic Forum. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/20FNt
Bayer is also a member of the Sustainable Productivity Growth Coalition (SPG).162โSPG Coalition Members and How to Join,โ U.S. Department of Agriculture. Archived September 7, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/PWDlI The SPG was launched by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at the United Nations Food Systems Summit in 2021. The USDA describes the coalition as a โchannel for cooperation to foster more sustainable and climate-smart agriculture, while ensuring the availability and affordability of food around the world.โ163โSustainable Productivity Growth Coalition,โ Foreign Agriculture Service. Archived September 7, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/SLTjr
Its members include states (such as the EU, the U.S., and Brazil), academic and research institutions, foundations and other organizations (including International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, International Fertilizer Development Center), alongside the private sector. Private sector members include: BASF, CropLife International, FMC Corporation, Corteva Agriscience, Syngenta, the Fertilizer Institute and the US Dairy Export Council.164โSPG Coalition Members and How to Join,โ US Department of Agriculture. Archived September 7, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/PWDlI According to reporting from Corporate Europe Observatory, agribusiness trade group COPA-COGECA described the coalition as โthe building of an anti-F2F group.โ165โA loud lobby for a silent spring: The pesticide industryโs lobbying tactics against Farm to Fork.โ Corporate Europe Observatory, March 17, 2022. Archived July 26, 2022. Archive PDF: https://archive.ph/hpFb3
Bayer is a partner of BusinessEurope, which describes itself as โthe leading advocate for growth and competitiveness at European level.โ166โASGroup – our partner companies,โ BusinessEurope. Archived September 12, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/t7MzU 167โMission and priorities,โ BusinessEurope. Archived September 12, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/aAaXZ
BusinessEurope is one of the industry organizations accused by Corporate Europe Observatory of โdeploy[ing] the Ukraine crisis to serve their agenda,โ because BusinessEurope sent a letter to the European Council in March 2022 which called on the EU to “impose new requirements only when absolutely necessary” and to avoid “burdensome requirements” in light of the invasion.168Vicky Cann, โExploiting the Ukraine crisis for Big Business,” Corporate Europe Observatory, July 28, 2022. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/llm7Y 169โBusinessEuropeโs message to the Spring European Council on 24-25 March 2022,โ BusinessEurope, March 22, 2022. Archived September 6, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ZSGLo
Bayer also sits on the international board for and sponsors the Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC), a technical group run by the industry association CropLife International. Bayer is also vice chair of IRACโs Crop Protection Working Group.
IRAC describes itself as the โglobal authority on Insecticide Resistance Management,โ and focuses on communication and education on insecticide resistance, as well as โdevelopment and implementation of resistance management strategies.โ Its international executive includes BASF, Corteva Agriscience, and Syngenta.170โIntroduction to IRAC,โ Insecticide Resistance Action Committee. Archived November 16, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/IMvb9
IRAC Europe is represented on and regularly presents its findings to the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisationโs Expert Working Group on Resistance to Plant Protection Products (EPPO), an intergovernmental panel which writes guidelines on pesticides for Europe.171โEPPO Expert Working Group on Resistance to Plant Protection Productsโ, EPPO, June 2022. Archived November 16, 2022. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/Virkt Pesticide Action Network says that guidelines written by the group โdirect regulators to approve the most harmful chemicals and dismiss safer alternativesโ in the EU. It says that corporations โwrote their own rules in their own interest and [EPPO] officials approved them.โ172โPesticide Paradise: How industry and officials protected the most toxic pesticides from a policy push for sustainable farming,” Pesticide Action Network Europe, September 2022. Archived November 16, 2022. Archive .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Resources
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