Over the last decades the same chemical companies which manufactured explosives and lethal poisonous gases for the war,\u00a0 turned to the agricultural market, where they saw enormous potential to keep multiplying their profits.<\/p>\n
Through patents and intellectual property rights (IPRs), and free trade agreements, they have established monopolies, threatening farmers\u2019 rights to seed, people\u2019s rights to affordable medicine and people\u2019s rights to healthy, nutritious food.<\/p>\n
The \u201cBig 6\u201d chemical and GMO corporations that own the world\u2019s seed, pesticides and biotechnology industries are now enlarging their empire with mega buyouts.<\/strong> Syngenta has merged with ChemChina ($43 billion<\/a> deal). Dow Chemical, which bought up Union Carbide responsible for the Bhopal disaster<\/a> killing over 20,000 people, has merged with Dupont ($122\/130 billion<\/a> deal) while Bayer has merged with Monsanto (over $63 billion<\/a> deal).<\/p>\n In this scenario, just 3 companies are left in control of 60% of the world\u2019s seeds and 70% of the chemicals and pesticides<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Through these aggressive mergers and acquisitions they are expanding their markets, and, by directly targeting decision-makers, increasing their influence and pressure on governments and institutions<\/strong>. Through wide public relations and propaganda<\/a> they are undermining science – to ensure that health and environmental regulations do not interfere with their profit making activities, thus increasingly leading to the erosion of our democratic principles. By expanding their monopolies on seed and food, chemicals and medicines, they deepen their control over our food and health<\/strong>, with the burden of this system falling most heavily on the smallest farms and the poorest consumers.<\/p>\n