Monsanto

Background Statement On Rifkin Lawsuit

Long time opponents of biotechnology filed yet another lawsuit in a series of unsuccessful attempts to stop a technology with the potential to improve our environment, increase food production and improve health. This action also is intended to deny farmers around the world the choice of using improved seed.

The accusations raised against Monsanto are without merit, and we are confident that the suit eventually will be dismissed. Each of Monsanto's biotech products, before it is put on the market, has undergone years of rigorous testing to determine its safety, environmental and performance characteristics, has been subjected to intense scrutiny by regulatory agencies like the EPA, FDA and USDA, and has been cleared for sale. In addition, we have worked hard to ensure that our customers have the information needed to use our products properly.

In agriculture, biotechnology already has demonstrated the ability to reduce farming inputs, such as chemical insecticides, and to facilitate the use of valuable soil conservation practices, while at the same time maintaining or enhancing crop yield. In the fields of healthcare and nutrition, the future opportunities are also broad and meaningful, adding critical tools in the fight against nutrient deficiencies and disease. Monsanto remains committed to giving farmers the choices they want and help in bringing both the current and potential benefits of biotechnology forward. We will vigorously defend against the allegations in the litigation and will work to protect the rights of growers around the world to have access to this technology.

Farmers today have more choices of high quality seed than ever before. This year in the U.S. alone, hundreds of locally suited seed varieties, both with and without traits imparted through biotechnology, were available to growers. This is in contrast to several decades ago, when growers could expect only a limited number new seed varieties in each crop each year.

It was the farmer demand for better seed that brought biotechnology to growers worldwide in 1996. Farmers in countries such as India and Kenya now are demanding the same choices farmers in the U.S., Argentina, Canada, China and Australia enjoy today and which have demonstrated enhanced value to them. We are committed to the farmer's right to have access to high quality seed choices that allow them to continue in the outstanding progress they have made in producing more food with fewer inputs on less land.

Although we will not comment on the specifics of this action, we re-affirm our commitment to biotechnology as a promising tool to grow crops produced with fewer insecticides and other chemicals, and that have the potential for greater yields and better quality. Many experts agree that biotechnology has a critical role to play if we are to meet the global food needs we'll be faced with in the coming decades in a sustainable and resource-sensitive manner. Turning our backs on biotechnology would be turning our backs on fostering safe, proven tools to meet the daily food needs of people around the world now and in the future. It would also mean giving up the promise of developing healthier, more nutritious foods that can play a major role in alleviating a wide range of maladies from malnutrition to chronic diseases.

We believe in biotechnology -- its opportunity and its promise. We've invested in it because it is a sound technology of clear and demonstrated value that offers extraordinary benefits to groups throughout society. We remain committed to bringing those benefits forward.