Bayer Statement on Ukraine

Attacks like these demand a very clear stance. And we have been very clear about ours. Here is what we are doing:

Bayer is fully committed to Ukraine´s future through investing in the country and supporting President Zelensky’s rebuilding plan – called United24. We aim to continue making significant investments in the country over the next decade – mainly to rebuild Ukraine´s agricultural system. This will also positively impact global food security, by enabling Ukraine´s farmers to plant and harvest their produce. 

To cover the corn seed demand in Ukraine and beyond, Bayer will invest a total of 60 million euros in its corn seed production facility Pochuiky. This investment includes a new seed dryer, a sustainable energy supply plant, state-of-the-art agricultural field equipment, storage facilities and the construction of two bomb shelters to ensure the safety of the Ukrainian colleagues who have been operating the facility and executing this investment project under very difficult circumstances.

Further, Bayer supports the humanitarian non-profit organization “Fondation suisse de déminage” (FSD) in their mission to demine land that was contaminated by mines and unexploded devices since the onset of the war in Ukraine. A donation of 825,000 euros will be dedicated to purchasing a large-size mechanical mine clearance machine. The machine is able to process large areas of land such as farmland and will allow farmers to grow food safely.

Bayer also continues to support Ukraine in the areas of health, education and humanitarian relief. We have donated a total of over 10 million Euros so far. This includes establishing a disaster relief fund and product donations, including antibiotics and oncology therapeutics. We will also support the rebuilding of Ukraine´s hospital and public health infrastructure.

As part of these efforts, we have donated 1.3 million euros to the UNITED24 fundraising platform. The donated amount will support two projects equally. Bayer will provide financial aid to restore the infrastructure of the Chernihiv Medical Center of Modern Oncology. We will also help the Romodanov Institute of Neurosurgery to purchase medical equipment for high-tech neurosurgical interventions and support complete patient rehabilitation.

Our employees donated more than 1 Million Euro through a Red Cross relief campaign, which Bayer has matched. The matching supports the procurement of several ambulances and defibrillators for Ukraine and the set-up of a mobile medical aid center serving Ukrainian refugees in Poland. 

In addition to the seeds and agricultural inputs that the team in Ukraine supplied and continues to supply to farmers, Bayer has donated more than 65,000 bags of seeds to grow food on nearly 45,000 hectares. The seeds will support 2,230 small farmers in Ukraine who had difficulty in accessing input for the 2022 growing season.

We continue to prioritize the safety of our 700 colleagues in Ukraine and will continue to support them.

Furthermore, Bayer country organizations and employee-led initiatives have organized local volunteering campaigns. One example is the commitment of the team from Bayer Gastronomy, which converted the "Seminar- & Tagungshotel Große Ledder" training center in Wermelskirchen near the Bayer headquarters in Leverkusen into a shelter. 30 Ukrainians find a temporary home there. Bayer volunteers are supporting the refugees and assist them in administrative issues.

As a direct response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, Bayer stopped all spending in Russia and Belarus that is not related to supplying essential products in health and agriculture. This means we have stopped

• Delivering non-essential products
• All advertising and other promotional activities
• Capital investments indefinitely
• Pursuing any new business opportunities in those countries.

We have also heard voices calling for a complete stop of delivery of all our products to Russia and Belarus. We understand these concerns as the war raises moral and ethical issues for every company.

Our position is clear – this war, initiated by Russia, is taking too many lives every day. As a Life Science company, we have an ethical obligation – in every country we operate in. Withholding essential healthcare and agriculture products from the civilian populations – like cancer or cardiovascular treatments, health products for pregnant women and children as well as seeds to grow food – would only multiply the war’s ongoing toll on human life.

Bayer is fully committed to helping prevent what could become an unprecedented food crisis. We share the view of the UN that global access to Ukraine’s food products and Russian food and fertilizers is essential to alleviate pressure on the global food system. In line with this, we have decided to continue supplying Russian farmers with essential agricultural products to ensure they can contribute to fulfilling the global demand. At the same time, we hope the Russian government continues to safeguard the free flow of agricultural products and never again use food as a means of pressuring the world.
 

Through our commitments, we act in the spirit of the UN, the G7 and the European Union calling for ensuring global food supply and access to healthcare.

These are difficult times that put us to the test, both, emotionally and ethically. At Bayer, we do everything in our power to live up to our responsibility to reduce the suffering caused by this terrible war. This is what our vision “Health for all, Hunger for none” calls for.

The situation remains volatile, and we will continue to monitor developments and evolve or adjust our response as necessary. As we do so, we stand with all those calling for an immediate end to this war, and we hope and pray for peace to return to Ukraine – and our world.