There and Back Again
Thoughts from Saltire Foundation intern Kitty, at the end of her 8-week internship at Monsanto’s global headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, on what she gained, and what she’s taking back to Scotland with her.
The Leaving of St Louis
After an eight-week internship at Monsanto’s global headquarters, Rory–an intern from Scotland’s Saltire Foundation–reflects on the life-changing experience.
The Scottish Are Coming! The Scottish Are Coming!
One of Monsanto’s interns from Scotland’s Saltire Foundation blogs about her first eight days at Monsanto.
New Experiences, Perceptions & Lessons
Monsanto has two interns from Scotland’s Saltire Foundation spending their summer with us. The Saltire Foundation is an independent charitable organization representing a new vision for Scotland, providing invaluable opportunities through experience, learning and business networking. This is the first blog from Rory, one of the interns. Both interns will be blogging their insights on St. Louis, Monsanto, agriculture and anything else that strikes their fancy during their stay throughout the coming weeks.
Gothenburg Learning Center Highlights Agricultural Conservation
By Sara Duncan Water limitations are constant constraints to western agricultural production. In 2008, Monsanto pledged to reduce, by one-third, soil, land, water and energy resources required to produce a unit of its corn, soybeans and cotton crops between 2000 and 2030. Using a combination of advanced breeding, biotechnology and improved farm-management practices, the company [...]
The Future of Food
As a Brit living in the United States, I have immensely enjoyed all the attention my former stomping grounds have been receiving lately due to the Royal Wedding. Watching my future king walk down the aisle, and having my American friends and family celebrate with me, was incredible and exciting. So when His Royal Highness [...]
PUBPAT Allegations Are False, Misleading and Deceptive
On Tuesday, the Public Patent Foundation, a legal services foundation aimed at changing U.S. patent law, filed suit against Monsanto on behalf of organic interests. We’ve briefly read the allegations of the PUBPAT suit and press statement and find many of these allegations to be false, misleading and deceptive. Here are the facts: It has [...]
The 2010 ISAAA Report on Biotech Crops
“Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2010.” It’s a rather calm-sounding official title for an important compilation of data on what’s happening with agricultural biotechnology around the world. On Tuesday, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) released its annual report. This one also provides a 15-year overview, with the first biotech [...]
A Report from the EU
Last week, the European Commission’s research compendium published a report entitled “A Decade of EU-funded GMO Research.” It’s the second of two reports, the first entitled “EC-sponsored Research on Safety of Genetically Modified Organisms 1985-2000.” The two reports together are a compliation of 130 EU-sponsored studies carried out by more than 500 research organizations from [...]
Biotech in the Land of Oz
If you look at TV Guide any time during the week you can see several nationally syndicated TV programs talking about some of the popular topics in American culture. Food and home are two of the biggest themes so it’s no surprise that agricultural biotechnology and the connections to food would be among the topics [...]
Agriculture Biotech Means More Yield, Less (Greenhouse)Gas
I have it on my long to-do list to start a series about yield and why it matters. I’ve made the point with some of my colleagues that although yield is a positive term for farmers, it doesn’t resonate much with the general public. That’s because 1) it’s primarily agriculture terminology and 2) our American [...]
Roundup-Resistant “Superweeds” In the News
There was a story today in the New York Times (“Farmers Cope with Roundup-Resistant Weeds”) about glyphosate-resistant weeds, or as the headline states – Roundup-resistant weeds. (Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup. Its success has made the two interchangeable similar to the case of facial tissue and the brand name Kleenex). This is the [...]
After the USDA/DOJ Workshop…
We were pleased to participate in the March 12th workshop and provide more information about our business. It was a unique opportunity to highlight the investment that Monsanto and hundreds of other seed companies are making on behalf of U.S. farmers. With dozens of trait technologies available to farmers today and fifty new traits currently [...]
They’re Planting Biotech What?? Where??
But more interesting to me, are the answers to the “where?” and “what?” questions. As in, where are farmers planting biotech crops and what are they planting? Reviewing the list, I see countries that I haven’t seen before as well as new products that I haven’t heard of (blue roses anyone?). Here’s some tidbits that [...]
Understanding the Challenges Farmers Face
For a site that was constructed to study water utilization in crops in a semi-arid environment, Monsanto’s Gothenburg Water Utilization Learning Center had a bit of a small problem during its inaugural year: too much rain. In an area that typically receives 23 inches of rain per year, the site received approximately 30 inches between [...]
Monsanto News Lowdown
There is a lot of news at Monsanto this week. Here is a quick read of everything that is going on. Corn Farmers Saved $50M in Insurance Premiums by Planting Biotech And on it goes…Monsanto vs. DuPont Roundup Ready® Alfalfa Goes to the Supreme Court Calling All Rice and Wheat Breeders
Learning from Farmers at the Learning Center
It’s quiet right now at Monsanto’s Monmouth, Ill., Learning Center, as least from a visitor perspective. During the late spring and summer months, a steady stream of farmers, seed dealers, investors, academics, international groups and youth organizations tour the facility to learn about the latest seed technologies being researched and tested in the field. “And [...]
Pipeline Progress: Eleven Steps Closer
Yesterday, we moved a step closer. Actually, 11 steps closer. Every January, in conjunction with the first quarter financial results, Monsanto gives an update on the research and development status of our breeding and biotech traits. The update provides a look at projects that have advanced and new projects that have been added to the [...]
Biotechnology’s Impact on Ag
By Tyne Morgan I remember as a little girl driving to Grandma’s house one weekend and seeing some of my family members out of the window working in the field. I remember specifically asking my mother what they were doing, and she simply told me pulling weeds out of soybeans. She also told us [...]
