monsanto-2012-annual-report

Wherever a farmer grows a crop, despite differences in
geography and circumstance, commonalities exist. Seed,
soil, water, nutrients. These are the necessities of any
farmer, the points that connect them. The tools may
look different around the world, but the desired result is the
same: a strong year for the grower, an exceptional harvest.
This is our desired result, too. Even in a challenging
year as we saw unprecedented weather in geographies
around the world that underscored the need to produce
more while conserving resources, we achieved strong
results for our customers and our business. You see, there
is an inherent connection here as well—our business is only
as strong as that of our farmer customers. As you invest in
us, we invest in developing new technologies for growers.
And I believe there is no better investment than our farmers.
This year, farmers around the world continued to
recognize the benefits of Monsanto’s technology, spurring
share growth in key crops and markets and propelling
us to 25 percent ongoing earnings per share growth.
During this time, we have been recognized by leading
third-party organizations as an employer of choice,
a leader in innovation and an environmental steward.
That sets the foundation for the future as well.
New connections are occurring and with them new
opportunities for growth emerging. This year, we added
dear shareowners
We live in interesting times. As the world becomes smaller, it has become easier
than ever to see the ways in which we are all interconnected—through our needs,
our resources and our reliance on a healthy planet. These connections aren’t new. But they
require a new mindset to appreciate how we can best preserve, nurture and expand them.
two areas to our pipeline that focus on connecting our
breeding powerhouse with agronomic solutions: Integrated
Farming Systems and agricultural biologicals. Through
both, we’re leveraging the power of our investment and
expertise in genomics to deliver better yield to farmers.
By treating agriculture as a system, we’re finding new
ways to work with farmers to produce more while
conserving more of our natural resources. We believe
there is no difference between smart agriculture and
smart business. Achieving both is the only way to ensure
our company and our planet are in step with the future.
As you invest in our business, you are also investing in
the future of agriculture. It’s a future that will be more
innovative, more integrated and more collaborative than
any the world has seen before. It’s a future to which we
are unwaveringly committed.
On behalf of our employees and our customers, I thank
you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Hugh Grant
Chairman of the Board
and Chief Executive Officer