Company: Monsanto Company
Company Description: Monsanto Company is a leading provider of agricultural products and integrated solutions for farmers. We produce leading seed brands with biotechnology traits, improving productivity, the environment and reducing the costs of farming. We manage our business in two segments, Agricultural Productivity and Seeds and Genomics, employing thousands of employees around the world.
Nomination Category: Company, Office & Product Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Multinational Company

Nomination Title: Monsanto Pledge Guides Company's Global Efforts

Tell the story about what this nominated company achieved in the past year (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Guided by the Monsanto Pledge--a formal commitment to dialogue, transparency,
respect, sharing of knowledge and technologies, and providing benefits to
stakeholders--Monsanto Company works to enhance the abundance and
nutritional quality of the global food supply.  Despite a challenging economic
climate, Monsanto built on its 100 years of integrity, sound science, high
stewardship standards and exceptional customer service to promote adequate food
supplies in a time of unprecedented global population growth, especially in
developing countries. 

Throughout the past year Monsanto celebrated numerous milestones, from
developing new technologies that improve quality food production and the
environment to donating millions of dollars to enhance communities across the
globe.  In fact, Wired Magazine recently honored Monsanto's 2002 advances by
naming it one of the "40 companies reshaping the global economy.¨  The ranking
was based on innovation, technology, strategic vision, global outreach and
networked communication.

In 2002 alone, Monsanto fulfilled its Pledge commitments in many innovative
ways, including:

Dialogue
Monsanto assembled a Biotech Advisory Council, comprised of 10 diverse, global
thought-leaders, to provide new perspectives and feedback on the company's
direction and activities and to help meet public expectations.

The company also established a Grower Advisory Council and several crop-
specific councils to open lines of communication in a forum that promotes
constructive dialogue.   

Transparency
To increase Monsanto's transparency with its plant biotechnology products,
Monsanto:
Widely distributed product information and biotech studies on its Web
site and other relevant databases. 

Published information about its plant-biotech products in Brazilian
congresses and on the Internet.

Sharing
Monsanto shared the first working draft of the rice genome with the International
Rice Genome Sequencing Project, a consortium of publicly-funded laboratories in
10 countries.  This donation will allow the group to complete its sequencing as
much as six years ahead of schedule.  As rice is an important staple crop around
the world, it is hoped that the rice genome information will lead to better yields and
improved nutritional value for rice and related grains.

Benefits
Monsanto's products dramatically reduced pesticides and increased yields in both
developing and developed countries.  Out of eight biotech crops approved and used in the United States,  growers saved $1.2 billion by lowering production costs and
reduced pesticide use by 46 million pounds (active ingredient) according to a
National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy study.

Respect
In 2002, Monsanto celebrated its safest year in the company¡¦s history.  Monsanto
employees, contractors and guests reduced their injury rate to less than 20
percent of the industry average. Additionally, the company instituted a vehicle
safety program to improve safety awareness for all Monsanto drivers.

The company also has continuously improved its manufacturing environmental
performance, resulting in awards such as the "Outstanding Pollution Prevention
Achievement Award¨ at its Luling, La., Roundup facility.

Further, Monsanto is very proud of its philanthropic endeavors.  In 2002, Monsanto donated more than $13.6 million globally.  Among its numerous causes, Monsanto
helped children from Argentina to India by providing food and educational training,
constructing schools and improving community safety.

List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:

The Monsanto Pledge
http://www.monsantoag.com/monsanto/layout/our_pledge/default.asp

Monsanto Chief Executive Outlines Commitments on New Agricultural
Technologies in the New Monsanto Pledge
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/00/11-27-00.asp

Biotech Advisory Council list of members
http://www.monsantoag.com/monsanto/layout/our_pledge/dialogue/biotech_advisory.asp#03

NCFAP Study shows Reduced Pesticides, Increased Yields from Biotech Crops
http://www.monsantoag.com/monsanto/layout/our_pledge/benefits/scientific_studies.asp
http://www.ncfap.org/40CaseStudies.htm

Economic, Environmental and Social Benefits of Bt Cotton
http://www.monsantoag.com/monsanto/layout/our_pledge/benefits/bt_cotton.asp ;
http://www.isaaa.org; news and Updates December 02: Report Shows GM
Crops Generating Global Economic, Environmental and Social Benefits: Small
Farmers in Developing Countries Are Major Beneficiaries

Microcredit Benefiting Farmers And Their Families In The Developing World,
Monsanto Executive Says
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/11-12-02.asp

Biotechnology A Tool To Help Improve The Quality Of Life For Women Monsanto Executive Says.
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/10-23-02.asp

Monsanto Reinforces Pledge to Growers - Transfers Important Technology to
Cotton Incorporated
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/08-09-02a.asp

Biotechnology can improve quality of food for both Developed and Developing
world, Monsanto Executive says; Speech at International Science Conference
Highlights Current and Future Benefits of Plant Biotechnology
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/06-26-02.asp

New Study Demonstrates Role of plant Biotechnology in Pesticide Reduction;
Biotech Crops Reducing Pesticide Use in the U.S. by Millions of Pounds Annually
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/06-18-02.asp

Monsanto Manager Recognized for Conservation Tillage Contributions in Spain
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/05-15-02.asp

Monsanto Reaffirms Commitment to Sustainability
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/04-22-02.asp

Monsanto Company to Share Technologies with Donald Danforth Plant Science
Center to Support Global Cassava Research
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/04-16-02.asp

International Rice Genome Project Progressing Ahead of Schedule; Monsanto¡¦s
Data Accelerating Research to Benefit Developing World
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/04-01-02.asp

Monsanto Providing Answers for South African Agricultural Challenges
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/03-22-02.asp

Sharing Report Documents Ag Partnerships With Developing Countries, Benefits
for Smallholders
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/02-27-02.asp

Pledge Progress Measured in Release of 2000-2001 Report
http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/02/01-29-02.asp

Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated company:

Hugh Grant is Monsanto's chairman, president and chief executive officer.  He has
served as Monsanto's executive vice president and chief operating officer;
managing director of all business units in Southeast Asia, Australia and New
Zealand; and marketing, sales and technology director for Europe and North
America.

He has a B.S. degree in molecular biology and agricultural zoology, Glasgow
University; a M.S. degree, Edinburgh University; and an MBA degree, International
Management Center, U.K.

Grant is a member of the International Policy Council on Agriculture, Food and
Trade; Executive Committee of the Microcredit Summit Campaign; and
International Advisory Board of Scottish Enterprise.