Harvest of greed: Bayer and Monsanto

The marriage of Bayer and Monsanto: A long-established German company with a solid reputation agrees to buy an American company that produces genetically modified seeds and the controversial weed killer glyphosate. Many farmers find glyphosate an effective tool, but critics say it’s carcinogenic. Despite these misgivings, Brussels recently approved the use of glyphosate in the EU for another five years. Agricultural chemicals are a big business, and that shows no signs of changing any time soon. But the industry is promising more modern and effective forms of use, largely through what they’ve dubbed "digital farming” - apps that provide farmers with key planting and harvesting data directly onto their smartphones or tablets. It’s not entirely altruism, however - the apps also advertise and sell company products directly to farmers. These advances notwithstanding, the merger of Bayer and Monsanto would appear to be a risky one. Why is Bayer CEO Werner Baumann willing to take on a company whose negative image will tarnish the traditional Bayer brand name? What does all this mean for consumers, for farmers and for global food supplies? Filmmakers Ingolf Gritschneder and Michael Heussen spoke to both proponents and critics of the mega-merger and filmed at Monsanto's research labs in the United States. In South America and India, they met scientists and farmers who have already experienced the impact of monocultures, Monsanto seeds and pesticides.