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Bayer CEO hints Monsanto “brand” could disappear

monsanto sign-post-dispatchThe CEO of Bayer AG, Werner Baumann, says if Bayer is successful in its attempt to acquire Monsanto, the Monsanto brand could disappear.

Baumann made the comment in a recent interview with a German newspaper. In an earlier interview with Bloomberg, Baumann had said it was too early to speculate about what the name of the combined company might be. But he added that “Bayer’s name and Bayer’s reputation stand for science, innovation and an utmost level of responsibility for societal needs, and that is what we are going to leverage on, also for the combined company going forward”.

In the German newspaper interview, Baumann also expressed his desire to converse with environmental groups about the proposed acquisition. One of the concerns expressed by those groups is that Bayer will push for greater acceptance of Monsanto’s genetically modified crops and glyphosate weed killer in Europe, where their use is restricted.

Monsanto has rejected Bayer’s offer of 122 dollars a share—amounting to 62 billion dollars—as too low, but both companies left the door open for further talks.

Contacted by Brownfield, Monsanto global communications lead Sara Miller declined to comment on Baumann’s specific remarks regarding the Monsanto brand. But Miller noted that Monsanto has stepped up its consumer outreach efforts in recent years, “listening and talking with broader audiences about the work we do … including those with very different views than our own”.

“But, we know there is more to do,” Miller says. “A recent study illustrated the gap that still exists between scientists and consumers on a variety of topics, including GMOs. We are driven to eliminate that gap and to drive these conversations forward in a constructive way.”

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