Monsanto Will Disappear, But The Issues Won’t

When Bayer closes its huge takeover deal later this week, Monsanto will cease to exist. But the issues that dogged it may not.

Monsanto became the poster child for opposition to genetically modified organisms, or “GMOs.” It’s a complicated issue, since famers have been grafting plants together for thousands of years; broccoli is the product of human intervention, not Nature’s pantry.

But Monsanto attracted attention for its bluntly commercial efforts — it patented a GMO soybean seed rendered dependent on its Roundup brand weed…