St. Louis, Missouri
December 15, 2000

A comprehensive evaluation of plants protected against insect pests through biotechnology appears in the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology.

The scientific report reviews scientific research on crops protected against insect pests with a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a common soil microbe, including studies which demonstrate that Bt crops are as safe as conventional plant varieties and these products provide significant economic, environmental and agricultural benefits.

"Bt crops have been commercially available since 1996,'' said Dr. Roy Fuchs, director of
regulatory science at Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON), a coauthor of the paper. The
evaluation reviewed data on three major Bt crops -- corn, cotton and potatoes -- that have been
commercialized in several countries, rapidly adopted by farmers, and studied extensively by
scientists around the world.

"The combined safety and performance studies combined with years of experience have shown
that Bt crops are providing important benefits on many different levels,'' said Dr. Fuchs.

The most significant benefits of Bt crops include: 

• Reduced use of synthetic chemical insecticides. Bt crops contain a gene that produces a naturally occurring protein that protects plants from specific insect pests and provides a level of insect protection generally superior to conventional chemical insecticides. As a result, Bt crops require fewer applications of chemical insecticides, thereby significantly reducing the overall amount of chemical used on food, feed and fiber crops. The National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy (NCFAP) estimated that, in 1998, 2 million less pounds of chemical insecticides were used to control cotton bollworms and budworms in six key cotton-producing states, compared to the insecticide levels used prior to the introduction of Bt cotton.
• Improved crop yields. Bt crop protection against insect damage translates to significant yield increases. In 1997, a heavy year for the infestation of the European corn borer in the United States, NCFAP reported that Bt corn provided a yield premium of almost 12 bushels per acres over conventional corn varieties. The same researchers estimated that the use of Bt cotton in the United States in 1998 resulted in an increased fiber yield of 85 million pounds.
• Economic benefits to the farmers. In the United States, where commodity prices are at the lowest levels in decades, Bt crops reduce the total amount of input costs for farming, which translates to direct economic benefits to farmers. NCFAP estimated that in 1998 alone Bt cotton created approximately $92 million in value for U.S. cotton growers.
• Reduction in naturally occurring mycotoxin levels. Researchers at Iowa State University have shown that planting Bt corn results in significant reductions in a naturally occurring mycotoxin, fumonisin, in corn grain. This reduction is directly due to the improved protection of the corn kernels from insect damage.
• Environmental benefits including the preservation of beneficial insects. By targeting specific insects through the naturally occurring protein in the plant, Bt crops reduce the need for and used
  of non-selective chemical insecticides. By eliminating these sprays, the beneficial insects that naturally inhabit agricultural fields are maintained and can even provide a secondary level of pest control.

"The rapid adoption of these products clearly demonstrates that Bt crops are providing very real
benefits to farmers in the United States and around the world,'' said Dr. Fuchs.

"However, we often lose sight of the benefits that these products bring beyond the farm. In just
five years, biotechnology has helped substantially reduce the amount of pesticides used in farming. This results in less pesticides on our land and reduces the potential for pesticides in our water as well as reducing the potential for pesticide residues on the food we eat.'' The review in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology (Volume 32, Pages 156-173) also summarized the safety studies conducted on Bt crops and which have been submitted to regulatory authorities around the world. Where regulatory processes have been completed, regulatory authorities have consistently concluded that Bt products are as safe as conventional varieties and are fully suitable for introduction into commercial agriculture.

"Bt crops are among the most widely tested and scrutinized products in the history of agriculture
and food production,'' said Dr. Fuchs.

"Because this is a new technology, there is extensive testing and regulatory oversight to ensure that the products coming to market are safe to eat. A review such as this provides people who are
interested an understanding of the extensive testing and regulatory oversight involved in the development of these products,'' he said.

Principal author of the paper is Dr. Fred Betz, a biologist who was associated with the
Washington, D.C. consulting firm of Jellinek, Schwartz and Connolly. After the paper was
submitted, Dr. Betz became director of regulatory affairs at Eden Bioscience, a firm based in
Bothell, Washington. Coauthors are Dr. Bruce Hammond and Dr. Fuchs, both of Monsanto.

Monsanto produces a number of Bt crops, including Bollgard cotton, YieldGard corn and
NewLeaf potatoes.

Monsanto Company, an 85 percent owned subsidiary of Pharmacia Corporation (NYSE: PHA -
news), is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality. For more information on Monsanto, see:
www.monsanto.com . 

Bollgard, NewLeaf and YieldGard are trademarks of Monsanto Company. 

Company news release
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