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Monsanto Co., the world's largest seed company, said on Wednesday it plans to divest all of Syngenta Ag's seeds and traits businesses as well as some overlapping chemistry assets to get regulatory approval for a takeover of its Swiss rival.Monsanto President Brett Begemann said in a statement that U.S.-based Monsanto sees an acquisition of Syngenta as a move toward "redefining the future of agriculture," and is confident it can address regulatory concerns about a combination of the two agrichemical and seed giants.

Monsanto Co, the world's largest seed company, said on Wednesday it plans to divest all of Syngenta AG's seeds and traits businesses as well as some overlapping chemistry assets to get regulatory approval for a takeover of its Swiss rival.The $45 billion transaction would create an industry giant with combined sales of over $31 billion before any divestitures and a market capitalization of nearly $100 billion, based on current share prices. It would likely attract scrutiny from regulators in Europe and the United States.

As seed and chemical maker Monsanto Co. woos Swiss agrochemicals firm Syngenta, Monsanto also is trying to win over consumers in key international markets, rolling out social media and marketing campaigns.U.S.-based Monsanto said it has recently launched interactive consumer-oriented websites in China, France, India, Argentina and Brazil, in addition to a lead site launched for U.S. consumers late last year.

Honey bees, critical agents in the pollination of key U.S. crops, disappeared at a staggering rate over the last year, according to a new government report that comes as regulators, environmentalists and agribusinesses try to reverse the decline.Losses of managed honey bee colonies hit 42.1 percent from April 2014 through April 2015, up from 34.2 percent for 2013-2014, and the second-highest annual loss to date, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a report issued on Wednesday.

The Environmental Protection Agency has wrapped up its review of the world's most widely used herbicide and plans to release a much-anticipated preliminary risk assessment no later than July, the regulator's chief pesticide regulator told Reuters. The EPA review of the health and environmental impacts of glyphosate comes at a time of intense debate over the safety of the chemical, and after the World Health Organization's cancer research unit declared in March that glyphosate was "probably carcinogenic to humans."

Backers of mandatory labeling for genetically modified foods on Wednesday launched a campaign aimed at turning back food company lobbying against labeling, and the first target is PepsiCo.The move comes as U.S. lawmakers are eyeing federal legislation that would nullify mandatory state labeling laws, such as one that takes effect next year in Vermont, and proposed in other states.

An advocacy group seeking a ban on the world's most widely used herbicide said Wednesday it is launching a U.S. public testing project to gather data on detectable levels of the herbicide in drinking water, human urine and breast milk.The project, backed in part by organic organizations and critics of genetically modified crops, is the latest move in a brewing battle pitting agribusiness interests against consumer and environmental groups over the fate of the weed-killer called glyphosate.

DuPont (DD.N) is buying a California-based microbiome discovery company for development of biological crop products, a move that the chemical and crop company hopes will give it an edge in an emerging agricultural market.DuPont's announcement on Wednesday did not disclose how much it is paying for Taxon Biosciences Inc, but said the 15-year-old company brings a "broad intellectual property estate" that will contribute to new DuPont seed treatments, and foliar and soil applications for row crops, fruits and vegetables.

Kraft Foods Group Inc on Monday said it is revamping its family-friendly macaroni and cheese meal, removing synthetic colors and preservatives from the popular boxed dinner.The move comes at a time when Kraft is battling sluggish demand as consumers shift to brands that are perceived as healthier, including foods that are organic or less processed. The company has also been targeted by consumer advocacy groups, pressuring it to remove the artificial food dyes from its products.Kraft spokeswoman Lynne Galia said the changes were being made to address concerns expressed by consumers, including demands for improved nutrition and "simpler ingredients."

U.S. regulators may start testing food products for residues of the world's most widely used herbicide, the Environmental Protection Agency told Reuters on Friday, as public concern rises over possible links to disease.Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide, has come under intense scrutiny since a research unit of the World Health Organization reported last month it was classifying glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans."