ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the eighth year in a row, DiversityInc® has recognized Monsanto Company for its commitment to diversity and inclusion by naming the sustainable agriculture company to its 2015 Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list, ranking Monsanto 43, up three places from 46 in 2014. “Monsanto’s inclusive culture helps nurture innovation and provides a foundation to develop diverse solutions to some of agriculture’s biggest challenges,” said Melissa Harper, Monsanto Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition, Diversity & Inclusion and HR Compliance. “We are honored to be recognized again by DiversityInc for fostering a culture where people can bring their whole selves to work.” Monsanto Chairman and CEO Hugh Grant emphasized that leveraging diverse perspectives is central to meeting the challenge of sustainably growing enough food for a world projected to exceed 9 billion people by 2050. “A diverse and talented workforce, representative of all the farmers, stakeholders and communities we serve, is vital to Monsanto’s ability to help nourish our growing world,” said Mr. Grant. “Embracing a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds is how we build the strong partnerships needed to pursue solutions to global challenges.” In naming Monsanto to the list, DiversityInc cited the company’s exceptional leadership, talent-development initiatives, strong employee resource groups and its commitment to supporting communities around the world. “Monsanto has been building an increasingly diverse employment pipeline and using metrics to effectively communicate the importance of diversity,” said DiversityInc CEO Luke Visconti. “Under current leadership the company has improved its talent development initiatives, especially its mentoring program.” Each company’s rank in the survey is based on an objective analysis of 183 separate factors, based on data from a 300-question survey. To participate in the review, organizations must have at least 1,000 U.S.-based employees and are required to fill out the survey, which is divided into four areas: Talent Pipeline, Equitable Talent Development, CEO/Leadership Commitment, and Supplier Diversity. For the entire Top 50 list, visit http://www.diversityinc.com/top50 or follow the conversation online with the hashtag #DITop50. Third party organizations continue to recognize Monsanto as a good corporate citizen and an employer of choice. Thus far in 2015, Monsanto has been recognized as a Great Place to Work® in eight countries, as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Forbes® Magazine, one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by CR Magazine, and as a Top Employer for LGBT Equality by Human Rights Campaign™. In addition, in 2014 Monsanto was recognized as one of the World’s Best Multinational Workplaces, a Great Place To Work® in 10 countries, as a Top Employer by Science™ Magazine, and one of the world’s 50 Smartest Companies. For more information on these recognitions and others, see Monsanto’s list of workplace recognitions. 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. About DiversityInc DiversityInc’s mission is to bring education and clarity to the business benefits of diversity. The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list began in 2001, at the same time many corporations were beginning to understand the business value of diversity-management initiatives. The 2015 Top 50 Companies for Diversity results are featured on DiversityInc.com and in DiversityInc magazine. For more information, visit www.diversityinc.com.