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Beyond the Rows is a Monsanto Company blog focused on one of the world’s most important industries, agriculture. Monsanto employees write about Monsanto’s business, the agriculture industry, and the farmer.avatar Monsantoco Posts

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Tag Archives: WEMA

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WEMA Partnership Celebrates 5th Anniversary Featured Article

By Mark Edge
Monsanto WEMA Project Lead

Maize continues to be the most widely grown staple crop in Africa, with more than 300 million people depending on it as their main food source.

Maize farming in Africa, however, is not without its risks – especially for millions of smallholder farmers who have limited resources and technologies to take on agricultural challenges presented by droughts and insect pests. Food security is constantly at risk with the potential of maize production ending with low yields or even crop failures, which contribute to hunger and poverty. Fortunately, Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA)… Full Article »

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Originally published
February 19, 2013 by Monsantoco

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Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) Update Featured Article

The Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project is a public/private partnership, initiated in 2008, dedicated to improving lives through the development of products that help smallholder farmers mitigate drought risk and manage insect pressure. 

Led by the Kenya-based African Agricultural Technology Foundation and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates and Howard G. Buffett foundations, WEMA key partners include the National Agricultural Research Institutes in Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT ) and Monsanto. 

Since its inception, the WEMA partnership has successfully developed a robust pipeline of new drought-tolerant hybrids … Full Article »

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Originally published
August 7, 2012 by Monsantoco

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Despite Drought, Hope Remains for the Gold Finger Women

Recently, three of us from Monsanto’s St. Louis offices had the opportunity to visit a group of women in a Kenyan village. The village is approximately three miles off the equator, and we came there to learn more about the challenges the women, and many more like them throughout Africa, face each agricultural season.

In true Kenyan style, we were greeted with 20 minutes of singing, chanting and dancing when we arrived. They must have sensed our hesitancy to immediately join in. An older woman seized my hand, and with a huge welcoming smile, encouraged me to join in the … Full Article »

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Originally published
November 22, 2011 by Monsantoco

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Horn of Africa: Geldof, Bono and Seale

In the fall of 1984, while I was in college, BBC correspondent Michael Buerk did a television news report about the Ethiopian famine. A young Irish musician named Bob Geldof saw the report and decided to do something. He assembled popular British rock stars, under the name Band Aid, to record “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” The song raised money for famine relief.

As a young American, I took notice. With every chorus of “Feed… the… World…” the seed was planted deep in my psyche that I wanted to do something to help.

Fast forward to when I attended … Full Article »

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Originally published
November 16, 2011 by Monsantoco

We’re all in this together…

Editor’s note: Rory Herron is one of two UK interns spending their summer at Monsanto’s global headquarters, under a program with Scotland’s Saltire Foundation. The Saltire Foundation is an independent charitable organization representing a new vision for Scotland, providing invaluable opportunities through experience, learning and business networking. Its undergraduate internship programme offers Scotland’s students the chance to spend 8 weeks working at a top multinational company with the aim of encouraging candidates to develop their confidence, skills and capacity to succeed.

By Rory Herron

I’m the youngest of seven children. Before I was born in Ireland, my parents and … Full Article »

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Originally published
July 29, 2011 by Monsantoco

Reasons Why We Do Need GM Foods: The World is Bigger Than Your House

I have always liked the concept of empathy–or putting yourself into another’s shoes. I truly believe we would have a better world if people only make a little effort to look for different perspectives and realities before opening their mouth or doing things.

Let’s try an exercise. Close your eyes and picture yourself trying to survive with less that $1 a day. Can you do it? Ha! Pretty hard, especially if you were lucky enough to have been born and/or live in a developed country where–even in the middle of an economic crisis–a good dinner and a decent place to … Full Article »

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Originally published
May 4, 2009 by Monsantoco