[November 19, 2014]

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Names Monsanto Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality

Monsanto has been named by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as one of the "Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality." The distinction comes with the St. Louis-based company earning a perfect score of 100 percent on the HRC's annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI). The CEI is a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Monsanto is one of only 366 major businesses across all U.S. industries to earn the top score.

"We are proud to again be recognized as a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality," said Steve Mizell, Monsanto executive vice president of human resources. "As a company focused on collaborating to find sustainable agricultural solutions, our success depends on attracting and developing talented employees with diverse backgrounds. We believe that an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated equally allows people to truly bring their best and most innovative ideas to the organization."

The 2015 CEI rated 971 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBT-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBT community. Monsanto's efforts in satisfying all of the CEI's criteria results in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a "Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality."

"In order to achieve a perfect score, a company has to show a deep and serious commitment to treating their LGBT employees fairly and equally on the job," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "We also look at whether a company is speaking out in the public square to advocate for LGBT equality here in this country and around the world. Monsanto not only meets these standards, it goes above and beyond the call of duty, making commitment to equality a fundamental aspect of its corporate values."

Third party organizations continue to recognize Monsanto as an employer of choice. In 2014, Monsanto was named eighth among the World's Best Multinational Workplaces by Great Place To Work Institute. The ompany also received awards recognizing its employees' innovation, leadership, and workplace satisfaction by Forbes (World's Most Innovative Companies), Science Magazine (Science Careers Top Employers), CR Magazine (100 Best Corporate Citizens), Computerworld (100 Best Places to Work in IT), DiversityInc. (Top 50 Companies for Diversity), MIT (News - Alert) Technology Review (50 Smartest Companies) and Chief Executive (40 Best Companies for Leaders). For more information on these recognitions and others, see Monsanto's list of workplace recognitions.

To learn more about Monsanto Company and our people, visit discover.monsanto.com. For more information on the 2015 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.

About Monsanto Company

Monsanto is committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce seeds for fruits, vegetables and key crops - such as corn, soybeans and cotton - that help farmers have better harvests while using water and other important resources more efficiently. We work to find sustainable solutions for soil health, help farmers use data to improve farming practices and conserve natural resources, and provide crop protection products to minimize damage from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world's biggest challenges. To learn more about Monsanto, our commitments and our more than 20,000 dedicated employees, please visit: discover.monsanto.com and monsanto.com. Follow our business on Twitter (News - Alert)® at twitter.com/MonsantoCo, on the company blog, Beyond the Rows® at monsantoblog.com or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed.

About Human Rights Campaign:

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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