Talking to our stakeholders, whether it’s our farmer customers, employees, or investors, has always been an important part of how we do business.

However, in 2011, we began more formalized stakeholder engagements. The conversations not only included our business activities, but also our mission, values and commitments to sustainability. We brought many internal and external stakeholders to the table— both to discuss with our Board of Directors and its committee dedicated to sustainability and the leaders of Monsanto — through in-person meetings and surveys to share, debate and find common ground. During these stakeholder engagement exercises, there was one thing we heard loud and clear: Do a better job at opening up and engaging society. Moving forward, it is vital that our stakeholder engagement and materiality process be inclusive, flexible and open to all audiences and ideas.

Bottom-Line Feedback:

You are a world leader in shaping agriculture, and what you do and what people consume are important; be a part of the long-term solution.

In 2012, our people have worked to further operationalize sustainability in our company. We established a Sustainability Strategy Council, made up of cross-functional leadership, to provide guidance and direction to our sustainability goals – and to assist in ensuring that our sustainability strategy is embedded in all functions worldwide. These leaders will help our company set targets and goals and further embed sustainability throughout our strategic business planning and business practices.