ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Monsanto Company announced today that it is joining other companies in signing the “Equality is Our Business” pledge launched by the Human Rights Campaign to strengthen support for diversity and inclusion for all, including the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. “We want our employees and customers, no matter what state they live in, to know that they are valued,” said Hugh Grant, chairman and chief executive officer for Monsanto. “Regardless of who you are or where you come from, we believe that everyone should be treated with equality, dignity and respect.” “Monsanto has a long history of employing a diverse workforce and creating an inclusive environment for our employees,” Grant added. “We are committed to recruiting, hiring, retaining, and promoting employees from all dimensions of diversity, including sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, and we oppose discrimination of any kind.” Monsanto is calling on other businesses and the agricultural community to join the company in speaking out against discrimination. The company remains steadfast in its commitment to diversity and inclusion for all, including its LGBT employees, as demonstrated by Monsanto’s ranking on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. Learn more about Monsanto’s commitment to diversity and inclusion at http://www.monsanto.com/careers/pages/diversity.aspx. About Monsanto Company Monsanto is committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce seeds for fruits, vegetables and key crops – such as corn, soybeans, and cotton – that help farmers have better harvests while using water and other important resources more efficiently. We work to find sustainable solutions for soil health, help farmers use data to improve farming practices and conserve natural resources, and provide crop protection products to minimize damage from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. To learn more about Monsanto, our commitments and our more than 20,000 dedicated employees, please visit: discover.monsanto.com and monsanto.com. Follow our business on Twitter® at twitter.com/MonsantoCo, on the company blog, Beyond the Rows® at monsantoblog.com or subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed.