In response to the unique demands for enhanced compliance in our India business operations, Monsanto established the Regional Compliance Council. The purpose of this group is to further senior leadership oversight and engagement on the complex maze of statutory compliance requirements in that region. Where warranted, this council can quickly implement changes, introduce new compliance processes or procedures and create new policies. With these goals in mind, the Regional Compliance Council developed and implemented a compliance framework in 2012 to ensure continued compliance in India.

THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE IS TO ESTABLISH AND STRENGTHEN COMPLIANCE ACROSS EVERY FUNCTION OF THE BUSINESS.

Over the course of 2012, the Council has helped increase awareness and the essentiality of compliance within the organization and business teams in India.  Identification of applicable laws or acts with corresponding training helps teams continue to meet compliance obligations in the face of a dynamic and challenging business environment and changing laws and regulations.

Successful Council initiatives for 2012 include:

• Policy and compliance documentation alignment
• Establishment of compliance charters for business operations
• A third-party review of operations to assure best practices
• Functional reviews of operations to identify and address weaknesses

The Regional Compliance Council is looking ahead to 2013 for further opportunities to improve, including ways to provide additional employee trainings, establish a feedback process for members of the Council to assess their progress, and employ independent audits to gauge the effectiveness of the Council.  The long-term objective is to strengthen compliance across every function of the business.