MONHEIM AM RHEIN, GERMANY--Bayer is reviewing global PR support for its €8bn crop science unit, amid continued public concern over pesticides and GMO products.

Bayer CropScience, which accounts for around 20 percent of the German chemical giant, is understood to have released an RFI to PR networks, in a bid to assess global capabilities.

It is understood that the company, which operates in the areas of pesticides and seeds, works with a number of PR agencies around the world, including US firm Abernathy MacGregor.

Bayer becomes the second major agrichemicalplayer in recent weeks to rethink its PR support. Last month, the Holmes Report revealed that Monsanto has also begun a search for global communications counsel.

While Bayer is a less significant player in GMO crop market, the company's pesticides have been linked to a sharp decline in honeybee populations. The European Commission has announced a partial ban on three pesticides, two of which are Bayer products. 

A Bayer spokesperson said that the company is not "engaged in a search for a global lead agency."

"Bayer CropScience is working with a number of agencies worldwide on a broad range of topics in marketing and corporate communications," said the spokesperson. "The company assesses the capabilities of agencies for its communications needs on a periodic basis."