For more info on Monsanto

[Patricia Dines <73652.1202@CompuServe.COM>]

>From Monsanto web site - http://www.monsanto.com

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Monsanto Pledge

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The Monsanto Pledge -- seven principles that describe the company's vision for a
sustainable environment -- was unveiled during a speech in 1990 by then Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer Richard J. Mahoney at a meeting of the National
Wildlife Federation
    <b>It is our pledge to:</b
     - Reduce all toxic and hazardous releases and emissions, working toward an
ultimate goal of zero effect;
     - Ensure no Monsanto operation poses any undue risk to our employees and
our communities;
     - Work to achieve sustainable agriculture through new technology
and practices;  
     - Ensure groundwater safety;
     - Keep our plants open to our communities and involve the community in
plant operations;
     - Manage all corporate real estate, including plant sites, to benefit
nature; and
     - Search worldwide for technology to reduce and eliminate waste 
from our operations, with the top priority being not making it in the first
place.

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Copyright 1996 Monsanto Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or
in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Monsanto
Company is prohibited. Monsanto and the Monsanto logo are trademarks of Monsanto
Company.


PD NOTE: I'm delighted to see they have at least some goals in this regard.
Still, the focus seems to be on the operation of their plants, with little real
discussion of the impact of their actual products.  Also, they must have a
different definition of sustainable than I do.  For example, genetically altered
plants that allow more use of a pesticide (RoundUp Ready) doesn't really fit
into my definition of sustainable ag - the pesticide can still hurt others and
the environment; it makes a *dependency* on the chemical company for the
copyrighted plants and the toxins (rather than a self-sustaining system); it
allows more toxins, vs. encouraging less; and doesn't encourage working with
natural processes so that the natural system works well and reduced external
inputs are needed.  I think they also have different definitions of undue risk
to employees and communities, and benefitting nature....

For your info.... P. Dines