Bayer (Monsanto)
Flagged · AvoidGerman multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, which acquired Monsanto in 2018.
Last updated June 13, 2026
↓ Skip to 6 ethical alternativesReasons to avoid
Issues span:ConsumerEnvironment
- Bayer proposed a $7.25 billion settlement in February 2026 to resolve tens of thousands of U.S. lawsuits claiming its Roundup weedkiller caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma, after already paying roughly $10 billion to settle earlier cases. About 65,000 active claims remain across U.S. courts, and the new settlement would cover future claimants for up to 21 years.
- Bayer is one of the world's largest manufacturers of neonicotinoid pesticides, which the EPA found in 2023 are driving more than 200 threatened or endangered species toward extinction. The American bumblebee has declined 90% over the past 20 years, a collapse scientists tie in large part to neonicotinoid use.
- Bayer's Roundup Ready crop system eliminated an estimated 850 million milkweed plants from U.S. farmland over two decades, and the company's neonicotinoid pesticides are now identified as a leading driver of monarch butterfly losses in the Midwest. Eastern monarch populations have fallen 80% since the 1980s, with Bayer's herbicides and insecticides both implicated.
- In March 2023, Bayer sued six Missouri farm operations for patent infringement, claiming they saved and replanted its patented Roundup Ready soybean seeds — a practice traditional to farming for generations. It was the latest in hundreds of similar lawsuits dating back to the 1990s under Monsanto, which Bayer acquired for $63 billion in 2018.
Ethical alternatives
Pharmaceuticals
Genexa
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Cabinet Health
Sustainable healthcare with refillable glass bottles and compostable medicine pouches to eliminate plastic waste.
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Common Questions
- Is Bayer ethical?
- Bayer faces tens of thousands of lawsuits claiming its Roundup weedkiller caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma, having already paid roughly $10 billion to settle earlier cases and proposing a further $7.25 billion settlement in 2026. Its neonicotinoid pesticides are linked by the EPA to driving over 200 threatened or endangered species toward extinction, and the American bumblebee has declined 90% over the past 20 years.
- Why should I avoid Bayer?
- Bayer acquired Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018, inheriting its record of suing farmers for saving and replanting patented seeds and introducing herbicides linked to cancer. The company's pesticides and herbicides are also tied to an 80% decline in eastern monarch butterfly populations since the 1980s and the collapse of pollinators critical to global food supply.
- What are the best ethical alternatives to Bayer?
- Genexa is a B Corp certified clean medicine company making OTC medications without artificial fillers. For sustainable lawn care, Sunday uses safe ingredients instead of Bayer's harsh chemicals. Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit dedicated to preserving heirloom seeds free from corporate patents.