Monsantos

Monsantos refers to Monsanto Company, an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation that operated from 1901 until its 2018 acquisition by Bayer. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, the company was founded by John F. Queeny and originally produced saccharin and other chemicals before expanding into agricultural products and later biotechnology and seed research.

It became a major producer of herbicides and seeds. Monsanto developed Roundup, whose active ingredient glyphosate was introduced in 1974 and became widely used for weed control. It also led the development of genetically engineered crops, including glyphosate-tolerant varieties marketed as Roundup Ready. Through acquisitions such as DeKalb (1998) and Delta & Pine Land (2010), Monsanto built a large seed portfolio encompassing corn, soybeans, cotton, and other crops, and pursued patent-based licensing and biotechnology research worldwide.

Controversy and regulation accompanied the company’s growth. Glyphosate and Roundup have been the focus of extensive regulatory review and legal action; some agencies have found no cancer risk at typical exposures, while others classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic in 2015. Monsanto faced lawsuits from plaintiffs alleging cancer links and concerns about seed patents and farmer rights. Critics argued that its business model constrained farmers and raised environmental and biodiversity concerns.

In 2018 Bayer acquired Monsanto for about $63 billion, and the Monsanto brand was gradually retired as products and technology were integrated into Bayer Crop Science. The Monsanto legacy continues in ongoing debates over GM crops, pesticide use, and sustainable farming.