Consolidation NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94 NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94 Consolidation Sat, 15 May 2021 05:07:14 +0000 https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Amy Mayer Two giants of American agriculture and industry are closer to becoming one. Dow and DuPont, both leaders in agricultural chemicals and seeds, among other products, received approval from the U.S. Department of Justice to move ahead with a merger, provided they divest several products. The companies will need to sell off certain insecticides and herbicides that are important for wheat and specialty crops, according to a Department of Justice statement , as well as a line of products used in food packaging. Those moves will preserve competition in the marketplace, the Department of Justice decided in approving the merger. Once merged, the companies plan to then split off into three separate businesses, one of which will be focused on agriculture. The Dow-DuPont merger has already received several international approvals, including from China, the European Union and Brazil. Mexico and Canada have not yet issued decisions. Growing consolidation of the companies that provide technology to https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/dow-dupont-merger-approved-us-antitrust-regulators 325 as https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Fri, 16 Jun 2017 17:16:47 +0000 Dow, DuPont Merger Approved By US Antitrust Regulators Amy Mayer The massive industry that supplies farmers with the tools to raise crops is on the brink of a watershed moment. High-profile deals that would see some of the largest global agri-chemical companies combine are in the works and could have ripple effects from farm fields to dinner tables across the globe. Six companies currently dominate the marketplace for agricultural seeds and farm chemicals, like fertilizer and pesticides: BASF, Bayer, DuPont, Dow, Monsanto and Syngenta. Of those, only BASF is not currently in discussions to merge. Dow and DuPont want to join forces and then spin off three separate companies, one of them dedicated to agriculture. Monsanto, currently the world’s largest seed company , has accepted an offer from Bayer. And China National Chemical Company, known as ChemChina , wants to purchase Syngenta. In some ways, the growth and consolidation of the agriculture industry is a common story of American business: growth snowballed until small companies become part of https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/seeds-pesticides-fertilizer-how-big-companies-harnessed-holy-trinity-modern-agriculture 85 as https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Mon, 31 Oct 2016 21:33:00 +0000 Seeds, Pesticides, Fertilizer: How Big Companies Harnessed The ‘Holy Trinity’ Of Modern Agriculture Amy Mayer Five of the six biggest companies that produce and sell seeds and chemicals to the world’s farmers are pursuing deals that could leave a market dominated by just three giant, global companies. They say getting bigger means bringing more sophisticated and innovative solutions to farmers faster, but opponents say consolidation has irreversible downsides. Dow and DuPont want to merge and then spin off three separate companies, one of them dedicated to agriculture. Monsanto has accepted an offer from Bayer. And China National Chemical Company, known as ChemChina , wants to purchase Syngenta. Most Americans aren’t farmers. But these moves would trigger structural changes to the foundations of our food system and impact all Americans, whether or not they buy seeds, fertilizer or herbicides. Corporate political power Large companies can influence Congress, and some fear that the fewer companies there are in a given sector, the more likely they are to get their way. “Perhaps the biggest https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org/post/why-you-should-care-about-big-ag-companies-getting-bigger 86 as https://www.harvestpublicmedia.org Mon, 31 Oct 2016 14:34:00 +0000 Why You Should Care About ‘Big Ag’ Companies Getting Bigger