Monsanto pledges to be carbon neutral by 2021

Monsanto announced today it will step up its efforts to reverse climate change by making its operations carbon neutral by 2021 through a new, carbon-neutral crop production program. 

“Climate change is one of the biggest issues we face in agriculture, as well as one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity,” Monsanto Chairman and CEO Hugh Grant said. “That’s why we have pledged to do our part within our own business and to help support farmers and others. While progress has been made to reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint, we must work collectively to do even more if we are going to sustainably feed 9.6 billion people by 2050. Agriculture is uniquely positioned to deliver climate change solutions, and we hope that policy makers recognize the role agriculture, farmers and crops can play in mitigating carbon emissions.”

The program will focus on seed production, crop protection and the sharing of data and increasing adoption of best practices. Monsanto will work on breeding, plant biotechnology, data science, conservation tillage and cover cropping systems that will help the company to become carbon neutral. The company is working to develop a program that will work in cooperation with its current program to reduce greenhouse emissions.

The last goal Monsanto has is to help to spread and reinforce programs to become carbon neutral throughout the country through the sharing of data and the establishment of best practices.