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Monsanto Company is a publicly traded American multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri. It is a leading producer of genetically engineered (GE) seed and of the herbicide glyphosate, which it markets under the Roundup brand. Founded in 1901 by John Francis Queeny, by the 1940s it was a major producer of plastics, including polystyrene and synthetic fibers. Notable achievements by Monsanto and its scientists as a chemical company included breakthrough research on catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation and being the first company to mass-produce light emitting diodes (LEDs). The company also formerly manufactured controversial products such as the insecticide DDT, PCBs, Agent Orange, and recombinant bovine somatotropin.

Monsanto was among the first to genetically modify a plant cell, along with three academic teams, which was announced in 1983, and was among the first to conduct field trials of genetically modified crops, which it did in 1987. It remained one of the top 10 U.S. chemical companies until it divested most of its chemical businesses between 1997 and 2002, through a process of mergers and spin-offs that focused the company on biotechnology.

Monsanto was a pioneer in applying the biotechnology industry business model to agriculture, using techniques developed by Genentech and other biotech drug companies in the late 1970s in California. In this business model, companies invest heavily in research and development, and recoup the expenses through the use and enforcement of biological patents. Monsanto's application of this model to agriculture, along with a growing movement to create a global, uniform system of plant breeders' rights in the 1980s, came into direct conflict with customary practices of farmers to save, reuse, share and develop plant varieties. Its seed patenting model has also been criticized as biopiracy and a threat to biodiversity. Monsanto's role in these changes in agriculture (which include its litigation and its seed commercialization practices), its current and former agbiotech products, its lobbying of government agencies, and its history as a chemical company, have made Monsanto controversial.

Legal actions and controversies

Monsanto is notable for its involvement in high profile lawsuits, as both plaintiff and defendant. It has been involved in a number of class action suits, where fines and damages have run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, usually over health issues related to its products. Monsanto has also made frequent use of the courts to defend its patents, particularly in the area of agricultural biotechnology.

On 25 May 2013, rallies against Monsanto took place. According to organizers, rallies were planned in 52 countries and 436 cities, and their goal was to protest against Monsanto and the genetically modified food it produces.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsanto

1604 13 by Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

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Genebank test tubes 7 by Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

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Samples of tropical forages conserved in vitro at CIAT gene bank in Colombia. Seeds of these plants were recently sent for conservation to the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway.

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Genetic resources 8 by Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

Work as part of CIAT's Genetic resources program.

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Genetic resources 17 by Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

Work as part of CIAT's Genetic resources program.

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Safeguarding Africa’s beans: CIAT’s Kawanda genebank and research station by Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

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Suliman Sebuliba – Research Technician. CIAT’s bean genebank at Kawanda research station, Uganda, receives new varieties from Colombia and safeguards beans across Africa. Researchers use the beans to breed more resilient varieties which are not only more drought and heat tolerant, but also more resistant to harmful pests and diseases, protecting the important bean staple.

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Rwanda 18 by Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

Documenting the impact of improved climbing beans in Rwanda.

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Genetic resources 15 by Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

Work as part of CIAT's Genetic resources program.

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06410080 by IAEA Imagebank

Fruit fly emergence test for quality control. (Entomology Unit, Seibersdorf, Austria, 2 June 2006)

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

06410019 by IAEA Imagebank

A female mosquito (Anopheles arabiensis) draws blood from a human hand. The IAEA is at the forefront of the fight against malaria. (IAEA Entomology Unit, Seibersdort, Austria, 1 June 2006)

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

43007-023: Higher Education Reform Project in Mongolia by Asian Development Bank

Genetic engineering laboratory, School of Art and Science at the National University Mongolia.

The Higher Education Reform Project will enhance the quality and relevance of higher education programs and address issues such as governance and management, financing, and access.

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