MONSANTO has moved to counter ongoing criticism from green-groups by announcing new and ambitious plans to become carbon neutral by 2021.
The north-American, St Louis based agrichemical and agricultural seed biotechnology multinational has been a regular political target for pioneering the use of Genetically Modified (GM) crops like glyphosate resistant canola and other varieties.
But with the 2015 United Nations Paris climate change conference in full swing this week, Monsanto has now revealed ambitions to push technologies and practices that can assist with global carbon mitigation.
The company said it plans to make its operations carbon neutral by 2021 through a unique program targeted across its seed and crop protection operations and through collaboration with farmers.
In a statement, Monsanto said those efforts to reduce carbon emissions would focus on seed production, crop protection and sharing data and increasing the adoption of best practices.
Monsanto chairman and chief executive officer Hugh Grant said climate change was one of the biggest issues agriculture faced and one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity.
“That’s why we have pledged to do our part within our own business and to help support farmers and others,” he said.
“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.”
Kansas State University Distinguished Professor and an author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report Dr Chuck Rice said the Monsanto program was “a critical step in agriculture’s overall effort to mitigate climate change”
He said the recent IPCC report indicated that agriculture was a significant pathway to mitigating greenhouse gases.
“Similar to other formalised carbon offset and renewable energy credit programs, organisations have started to invest in verified offsets originating from agricultural activities,” he said.
“Agriculture can be a positive force in the fight against climate change and it’s important to see Monsanto stepping forward in this way.”
Iowa farmer Tim Smith said his goal was long-term sustainability and raising crops as sustainably and environmentally friendly as he can.
“Using these best practices together has proven to not only be good for the environment, but it also maximises my productivity,” he said.
“In recent years, rainfall events have been more intense in terms of quantity and in frequency, so it is even more important today to implement practices that will help to protect soil from serious erosion losses.
“As a farmer and steward of the land, it is encouraging to know that implementing these practices on my farm can be an important contribution in addressing climate change.”