Print This PageRespecting Communities and People
Progress in Human Rights Implementation
As an agricultural technology company, Monsanto has a unique opportunity to protect and advance human rights. In April 2006, we took an important step to formalize our commitment to do that within the company and among our business partners. This commitment, published as the Monsanto Human Rights Policy,9 was adopted after an 18-month dialogue with key business leaders and external stakeholders.
The United Nations’ Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work guided the articulation of Monsanto’s human rights policy. The policy considers the unique nature of Monsanto’s business and the agricultural industry, and it is aligned with the values prescribed in the Monsanto Pledge.
Bollgard cotton seed producers in India receive training, audits, and incentives
to use adult labor.
Respect for human rights is essential to who we are at Monsanto. Some of our business partners face different circumstances and challenges, however. We are committed to helping them overcome these challenges.
Our business leaders and external stakeholders find that a continuous-improvement approach to rectifying human rights violations is the most effective and honest model for the company. “Protecting human rights is a process,” said Maureen Mazurek, Monsanto director of global safety and human rights. “It is ongoing, and its goal is to make continuous improvements by identifying populations who are at risk and then addressing those risks.”
Since adopting the policy, company leaders have named human rights champions for each of Monsanto’s geographic and functional areas. The champions have received training in the company’s human rights policy. They serve as educators and points of contact for other employees when a question regarding human rights arises. In 2007, the human rights leadership team wrote a guidebook that will be distributed to all employees in 2008.
Improvements in the workplaces of Monsanto’s business partners are also evolving. We seek to do business with partners who also aspire to the continuous improvement of their workplace conditions and to respect and protect human rights. Significant early progress has been made regarding child labor among third-party contractors in India. Additional areas where we believe we can substantially influence the human rights practices of our business partners are being identified.
