Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation. It is the world's leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate, marketed as its flagship product, Roundup.

Monsanto is also by far the leading producer of genetically engineered (GE) seed, holding 70%–100% market share for various crops. Agracetus, owned by Monsanto, exclusively produces Roundup Ready soybean seed for the commercial market. In March 2005, it finalized the purchase of Seminis Inc, making it also the largest conventional seed company in the world. It has over 15,000 employees worldwide, and an annual revenue of US$5.4 billion reported for August 2004.

Monsanto's development and marketing of genetically engineered seed and bovine growth hormone, as well as its aggressive legal and lobby practices have made the company a primary target of the anti-globalization movement and environmental activists. While other chemical and biotech multinationals face similar criticisms, Monsanto is easily the most reviled. Some activists have referred to Monsanto's products as frankenfoods, and its most vehement opponents refer to Monsanto as "Monsatan". It is often referred to while mentioning Corporate terrorism. This designation has been both criticized and promoted by some in the scientific community.

History

Monsanto was founded in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1901, by John Francis Queeny, a 30-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry. He funded the start-up with his own money and capital from a soft drink distributor, and gave the company his wife's maiden name.

Monsanto's first product was the artificial sweetener, saccharin, which it sold to the Coca-Cola Company. It also introduced caffeine and vanillin to Coca-Cola, and became one of that company's main suppliers. In the 1920s, Monsanto expanded into basic industrial chemicals like sulfuric acid.

In 1928, Queeny's son Edgar Monsanto Queeny took over the company.

In the 1940s, it became a leading manufacturer of plastics, including polystyrene, and synthetic fibers. Since then, it remained one of the top 10 US chemical companies. Other major products have included dioxin (in the herbicides 2,4,5-T and Agent Orange), aspartame (NutraSweet), bovine somatotropin (bovine growth hormone; BST), and PCBs.

In the 1940s, Monsanto operated Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the Manhattan Project, the development of the first nuclear weapons.

In 1947, an accidental explosion of ammonium nitrate fertilizer loaded on the French ship S.S. Grandcamp was responsible for the Texas City Disaster in Galveston Bay. The explosion destroyed an adjacent Monsanto styrene manufacturing plant, along with much of the port. It is considered the largest industrial accident in US history, with the highest death toll.

In 1949, Monsanto acquires American Viscose from England's Courtauld family.

In 1954, Monsanto partnered with German chemical giant Bayer to form Mobay and market polyurethanes in the US.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Monsanto is the leading producer of Agent Orange for US Military operations in Vietnam.

In 1980, Monsanto established the Edgar Monsanto Queeny safety award [1] in honor of the former CEO (1928–1960), to encourage accident prevention.

In 1982, Monsanto scientists become the first to genetically modify a plant cell.

In 1987, Monsanto conducted the first field tests of genetically engineered crops.

Through a process of mergers and spin-offs between 1997 and 2002, Monsanto has made a transition from chemical giant to biotech giant.

In 1999, Monsanto sold their phenylalanine facilities to Great Lakes Chemical (GLC) for $125 million.

In 2000, GLC sued Monsanto for the $71 million dollar shortfall in expected sales.

In 2001, retired Monsanto chemist William S. Knowles was named a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation, which was carried out at Monsanto beginning in the 1960s until his 1986 retirement.

Throughout 2004 and 2005 Monsanto filed lawsuits against many small farmers in Canada and the U.S. The lawsuits have been on the grounds of patent laws, specifically the sale of crops containing Monsanto's patented genes as a result of wind carrying seeds from neighboring crops. The instances began in the mid to late 90s, with one of the most significant cases being ruled in favor of Monsanto by the Canadian Supreme Court. In late May of 2004, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Monsanto, stating that "by cultivating a plant containing the patented gene and composed of the patented cells without licence, the appellants [canola farmer Percy Schmeiser] deprived the respondents of the full enjoyment of the monopoly." With this ruling, the Canadian courts follow the U.S. Supreme Court in its decision on patent issues involving plants and genes.

In February of 2005, Monsanto has filed patent claims on common breeding techniques for pigs which would grant the ownership of any pigs born of such techniques and their related herds. Patent have been filed in 160 nations.