Spotlight
Monsanto Company, along with its subsidiaries, was an agrochemical company and producer of a range of agricultural products. In 2016 Bayer, a German life science company specializing in the areas of health care and agriculture, offered to purchase Monsanto for $62.5 billion. On June 7, 2018 the sale closed, and the Monsanto brand was discontinued, and all formerly Monsanto products are now being marketed under Bayer. Monsanto had facilities in 69 countries and produced seeds, biotechnology trait products, herbicides, and precision agriculture tools. It created genetically altered seeds that tolerate Roundup—Roundup is the company’s flagship product and the world’s most widely used herbicide—which has been widely criticized for its links to cancer and other illnesses. Monsanto marketed its Dekalb, Asgrow and Deltapine branded germplasm, and sold its crop protection products to farmers in every agricultural region of the world. The company’s Roundup Agricultural Herbicides (RAH) were the leading products of Monsanto’s agrochemical business. Monsanto had a robust research and development (R&D) team and spent $1.6 billion on its R&D activities for FY 2017. The company reported $21.33 billion in total assets and $7.93 billion in gross profit for fiscal year 2017.
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Bayer’s acquisition of Monsanto (for $62.5 billion) is the largest all-cash transaction to date, and is part of an industry-wide trend towards consolidation.
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In August 2018, Monsanto was ordered to pay Dewayne Johnson, a California school groundskeeper, $289 million in damages after the company entered into a lawsuit and was found liable for causing Mr. Johnson’s cancer due to his exposure to Monsanto’s weedkillers, which included Roundup. This is a historic verdict as the case proves that Roundup can cause cancer, and Roundup is the most commonly used herbicide in the world. Bayer now faces over 5,000 similar lawsuits in the US.
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The Monsanto Company was one of nine government contractors who manufactured Agent Orange for the United States military during the Vietnam War. The US military sprayed around 12 million gallons of the deadly chemical over a period of 10 years. The Vietnamese population continues to suffer from Agent Orange by way of contaminated food, and birth defects whereby children inherit genetic mutations through their parents. Vietnam has demanded compensation from Monsanto for those effected by Agent Orange. What’s more, in 2012, Monsanto settled a massive class-action lawsuit with US residents who were poisoned by chemicals used to manufacture Agent Orange during the Vietnam War-era.
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With the merger of Bayer and Monsanto, the companies in early 2017 stated that they expected to spend around $16 billion on R&D over the next six years, with at least half of the $16 billion being invested in the US.
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In a federal court case, documents indicated that Monsanto had ghostwritten research and attributed the research to academics in an attempt to quash a review of Roundup’s main ingredient, glyphosate. The research was to have been conducted by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Roundup Ready crops account for over 94% of the soybeans and 89% of the corn grown in the United States. Monsanto’s Roundup Ready crops and the key chemical ingredient, glyphosate, have been linked to cause cancer.
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Monsanto was known to have a practice of hiring academic researchers and scientists to make claims for their products, such as GM crops and the company’s herbicides and pesticides, stating that they are safe, and non-toxic, even though scientific research proves otherwise. Case in point, in August 2014, Monsanto approved a $25,000 grant for Dr. Kevin Folta, the chairman of the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida to travel extensively and give talks about genetically modified foods and products.
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Monsanto, DuPont/Pioneer, Syngenta, and Dow AgroSciences own 80% of the US corn market, and 70% of the soybean business. These four companies also control more than half the world’s seed supply.
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Monsanto has been linked to the nearly 300,000 suicides among farmers in India since the mid-1990’s following the introduction of its biotech seeds, which now makes up more than 90% of India’s cotton acreage. Indian activist and agronomist, Vandana Shiva, called these biotech cotton seeds “seeds of suicide,” as the suicide rate increased dramatically after they were introduced.
At a Glance
Founded
1901, United States
Headquarters
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Corporation Type
Primary; Public
Number of Employees
20,000
Major Industries
GMO Seeds; Herbicides
Total Revenue
$14.64 billion for FY 2017
Activity Map
Explore the map to discover where this corporation operates around the globe.
- Blue
- Active Countries
Industries
Find out which food-related industries this corporation is involved with–from food production to consumption.
Agricultural Seeds
Monsanto provides seeds to farmers in eight-row crops: alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets and wheat. In countries where genetic modification (GM) of plants isn’t adopted, Monsanto sells conventional seed to farmers. This seed is produced via breeding—where two really good parents are bred to produce offspring that has the best plant characteristics for that farmer’s area. For example, France is a country where Monsanto sells non-GM corn hybrids.
In countries where GM is widely adopted by farmers, Monsanto sells both conventional seed and GM seed. GM seed may include the following plant characteristics introduced by modifying the plant’s genome:
Herbicide tolerance (Roundup Ready® crops)
Insect tolerance (VT Triple PRO® corn, INTACTA RR2 PRO® soybeans, Bollgard II® cotton)
Drought tolerance (DroughtGard® Hybrids)
Vegetable Seeds
Vegetable Seeds Division is represented by two seed brands: Seminis® (open-field and unheated protected culture) and De RuiterTM (heated, protected-culture and rootstock). Monsanto has more than 2,000 products in over 20 crops for open field and protected culture, which as the corporation describes, fits local consumer preferences and production needs. In the United States, there are only two vegetables that have been developed by genetic modification: sweet corn and squash.
Traits, technologies, and partnering
The corporation purports that providing farmers with the latest traits and technologies to help them be more profitable on every acre is something, as a company, Monsanto prides itself on. They claim that it’s more than just helping farmers find the latest advancements in seed – it’s helping farmers find the latest seeds and technologies while using fewer inputs.
Whether that be farmers purchasing seed with the latest Genuity® traits that help protect that crop’s yield or purchasing seed with a seed treatment to help the seed come out of the ground faster and healthier, Monsanto asserts they offer a variety of traits and technologies that benefit farmers.
These traits and technologies are central to Monsanto Company. Although Monsanto is represented in the field by various brands, by purchasing seed that includes the following traits and technologies, they claim farmers can be assured they are purchasing high-performing seed that has the potential to help them be more successful on every acre of land.
There are four main areas Monsanto Company invests in to help farmers find the best fit for their farm.
Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products
Corn States
Genuity® Traits
Agricultural herbicides
The Monsanto Company asserts that Roundup agricultural herbicides and other products are used to sustainably and effectively control weeds on the farm. The company also attests that their use on Roundup Ready crops has allowed farmers to conserve fuel, reduce tillage and decrease the overall use of herbicides.
Industrial, turf, and ornamental herbicides
Monsanto’s Industrial, Turf, and Ornamental business are dedicated to providing weed control options for industrial and large non-farm areas. Parks, golf courses, zoos, roadsides and other large green spaces use their products to manage weeds.
Product stewardship
Seed Dealer Stewardship Policy: Seed dealers that are authorized to sell seed containing Monsanto patented technologies are responsible to clearly communicate Monsanto’s stewardship policies to employees, especially those who manage seed and customer seed sales. Market research confirms that growers listen to their seed dealers and retailers when it comes to stewardship. Dealers are integral in communicating not just the importance of proper stewardship but also educating employees and customers on Monsanto Stewardship Policies.
Stewardship and The Pledge: To meet Monsanto’s high stewardship standards, and operate with integrity in accordance with the company’s Pledge values.
Product Stewardship Safety: The legal, ethical and moral obligations to ensure the company’s products and technologies are safe and environmentally responsible.
Insect Resistance Management: Insect Resistance Management (IRM) Grower Guide on the seed bag, IRM Refuge Calculator, Technology Use Guides (TUG) and educational materials for U.S. growers to ensure everyone is compliant with requirements.
Monsanto’s Glyphosate Endangered Species Initiative: As leaders in the stewardship of Roundup agricultural herbicides, Monsanto has a stewardship program called the Glyphosate Endangered Species Initiative. This initiative depends on Monsanto working in partnership with growers and applicators.
BIO Product Launch Stewardship Policy and Self-certification Letter: Monsanto’s commitment to implementing the “Excellence through Stewardship” program and Product Launch Stewardship Policy.
Seed Patent Protection: Patents, like copyrights, are a form of intellectual property protection that legally prohibits unauthorized duplication of a product. In agriculture plant varieties and seeds with enhanced biotech traits may be patent protected whether soybean, strawberries, flowers etc. Monsanto is one of many seed companies that patent their innovations and enforces its patents to, as they claim, ensure a level playing field for the vast majority of honest farmers who abide by their agreements and to discourage using unpaid technology to gain an unfair advantage.
Research and development
The Monsanto Company invests more than 180 million dollars every year toward research to improve vegetable varieties. With 55 vegetable research stations around the world, the company states that their global presence helps researchers discover new varieties that meet the regional farmer and consumer needs and are adapted to local microclimates. They add that the depth and breadth of the vegetable product line sold through the company’s brands is the result of the company’s strong commitment to research and development.
Monsanto plant breeders use traditional plant breeding techniques, marker-assisted breeding and advanced analytical methods to, as the company describes it, develop improved vegetables and melons. Their breeders also work to develop products for both planting and harvest, by combating environmental factors that limit the plant’s output and by enhancing the product’s end-market features – including appearance and quality.
While Monsanto is not working on extensive biotech vegetable research, the overall industry does have a pipeline of research efforts in this area. Examples include work in apples, pineapples, tomatoes, and potatoes.
Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing
Companies engaged in manufacturing nitrogenous and phosphatic fertilizer, pesticide and other agricultural chemicals.
Pesticide Manufacturing
This class consists of units mainly engaged in the formulation and preparation of pest control chemicals.
Manufacture of pesticides and other agrochemical products
This class includes the manufacture of insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, herbicides, manufacture of anti-sprouting products, plant growth regulators, manufacture of disinfectants (for agricultural and other use), manufacture of other agrochemical products n.e.c.
Pesticide Manufacturing
This industry consists of units mainly engaged in the formulation and preparation of pest control chemicals.
Manufacture of pesticides and other agrochemical products
This industry includes the manufacturing of insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, herbicides, acaricides, molluscicides, biocides, the manufacturing of anti-sprouting products, plant growth regulators, disinfectants (for agricultural and other use), as well as the manufacturing of other agrochemical products n.e.c.
Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the formulation and preparation of agricultural and household pest control chemicals (except fertilizers).
Brands
Explore the page to unmask the illusion of control you have as a consumer and see which brands this corporation owns.
Total Brands: 59
Acceleron
Agroceres
Agroeste
Apyros
Asgrowl
Atrazina90
BellaFina
Beneforte
Bolerol
Bollgard II
Bullet
Canavilalis
Certainty 
Channel 
Corn States
D&PL
De Ruiters
Defensa
Degree Xtra
Dekalb
Deltapine
Ekotech
EverMild
Faena
Fontanelle
Frescada
Genuity
Gold Country Seed
Guardian
Harness
Hubner Seed 
Intrro
Jung
Kruger 
Latitude
Lewis Hybrids
Machete
Melorange
Micro-Tech
Monitor
Monsoy
Out Rider
Ranger
Rea-Hybrids
Rival
Roundup
Roundup Ready
Roundup-Transorb
RT 3
Rustler
Seminis
Smartstax
Specialty-Hybrids 
Stewart
Stone Seed 
Tripple Flex
Vistive 
Warrant
WestbredLobbying
On this page you will find a list of lobbyists who had been hired by Monsanto, the issues they lobbied for, and a list of federal bills they lobbied to pass. Bills that Monsanto lobbied against are not included on this page.
Government Contracts
Search the page to see which US federal agencies have contracts with this corporation.
Department of Energy
1
Department of Health and Human Services
2
Department of State
3
Education & Money
Explore how this corporation wields influence in education and academic research through targeted financial contributions to schools and universities across the United States.
Income Disparities
Find out how the compensation of the CEO from this corporation compares to the salary of the lowest paid worker within the same company.
1 : 438
Ratio
$11,840,984
CEO Compensation
$27,040
Lowest Worker Compensation
