Philanthropy and community outreach have always been a big part of our culture. We encourage our employees to give to their selected charities and communities and provide the support they need, including matching grants to charities our people support.. In 2010, our people introduced Monsantogether in the Americas, a program that supports personal charitable involvement by our employees and encourages them to volunteer in their communities.

WE ENDED THE 2012 CALENDAR YEAR AT 54,057 TOTAL VOLUNTEER HOURS.

This program allows employees to choose their own volunteer service and rewards them for their contributions by giving grants to the organization where the employees spent their time. In 2012, we exceeded 50,000 volunteer hours working in communities through this program. Everything from food pantries to animal shelters, whatever our employees feel is important to them becomes important to us.

In 2012, Monsanto sites across the U.S. joined forces to help fight rural hunger in their local communities through a Rural Hunger Volunteer Week.  Over 50 sites, or nearly half of Monsanto U.S. facilities, volunteered more than 2,000 volunteer hours across 20 states.  This program builds upon the Invest an Acre program with plans to make the volunteer week an annual campaign to unify their efforts.  Hugh Grant, Monsanto’s Chairman and CEO, also got involved and led a team of 40 employees at the world headquarters through volunteer efforts at the St. Louis Area Foodbank.

Other world regions are also getting involved and giving back.  Employees in Latin America South launched a pilot project of Junior Achievement P.A.M.P.A (Model Agricultural Entrepreneur Learning Program) at schools in Zárate, Rojas, Pergamino and Buenos Aires.  P.A.M.P.A. ´s purpose is for students to acquire tools to better understand agricultural activities.  Through Monsanto-offered classes, students simulate the operation of rural enterprises and analyze the decision-making on issues related to the agriculture world to help them understand the impact in the economy and on the quality of life.