Monsanto to drop name after sale to Bayer
The new owner of Monsanto, synonymous with deadly chemical warfare and genetically modified plants, is ditching the name. A Monsanto manufacturing and operations center in Lillo, Belgium, in 2016.John Thys / AFP - Getty ImagesJune 4, 2018, 2:03 PM EDT / Updated June 4, 2018, 2:03 PM EDTBy Ben Popken The name of Monsanto, a company that has often been vilified for pioneering the genetic modification of crops, is about to be retired. The move comes as part of the approved mega-merger sale of the American seed company to German pharmaceuticals and chemical giant Bayer, originally valued at $60 billion. "Monsanto will no longer be a company name," Bayer said in a statement Monday. "The acquired products will retain their brand names and become part of the Bayer portfolio." Bayer announced last month it would be selling off some $9 billion in assets as required by the U.S. Department of Justice in…