Full Description

Monsanto Company (Monsanto), incorporated on February 9, 2000, along with its subsidiaries, is a worldwide provider of agricultural products for farmers. The Company’s seeds, biotechnology trait products, and herbicides provide farmers with solutions to produce foods for consumers and feed for animals. The Company operates in two segments: Seeds and Genomics, and Agricultural Productivity. In December 2008, the Company acquired 100% interest of Aly Participacoes Ltda. (Aly), which operates the sugarcane breeding and technology companies, CanaVialis S.A. and Alellyx S.A., both of which are based in Brazil. In July 2009, the Company acquired the WestBred, LLC, a Montana-based company that specializes in wheat germplasm.

Seeds and Genomics

The Company, through its Seeds and Genomics segment produces seed brands, including DEKALB, Asgrow, Deltapine, Seminis and De Ruiter, and it develops biotechnology traits that assist farmers in controlling insects and weeds. Monsanto also provides other seed companies with genetic material and biotechnology traits for their seed brands. Monsanto also offers farmers stacked-trait products, which are single-seed products in which two or more traits are combined. The Company sells its products under Monsanto brands and license technology and genetic material to others for sale under their own brands. Through distributors, independent retailers and dealers, agricultural cooperatives, plant raisers, and agents, the Company markets its DEKALB, Asgrow and Deltapine branded germplasm to farmers. In the United States, the Company markets regional seed brands under the American Seeds, LLC and Channel Bio, LLC businesses to farmers directly, as well as through dealers, agricultural cooperatives and agents. The Company’s vegetable seeds are marketed in more than 100 countries through distributors, independent retailers and dealers, agricultural cooperatives, plant raisers and agents, as well as directly to farmers.

Agricultural Productivity

Through its Agricultural Productivity segment, the Company manufactures Roundup brand herbicides and other herbicides, and provides lawn-and-garden herbicide products for the residential market. The Company sells its crop protection products through distributors, independent retailers and dealers, and agricultural cooperatives. In some cases outside the United States, it sells such products directly to farmers. Monsanto also sells certain of the chemical intermediates of its crop protection products to other agricultural chemical producers, who then market their own branded products to farmers. The Company markets its lawn-and-garden herbicide products through The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.