ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the 9th consecutive year, DiversityInc has named Monsanto Company to the Top 50 Companies for Diversity List, citing the sustainable agriculture company’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion for its ranking. Monsanto is the only St. Louis-based company included on the list. In addition, Monsanto ranked No. 7 on the DiversityInc Top 12 Companies for Employee Resource Groups list and ranked No. 8 on the DiversityInc Top 9 Companies for People with Disabilities list. “Our company continues to advocate for equal rights in the workplace and be a voice for change,” said Monsanto Chairman and CEO Hugh Grant. “We take great pride in the diversity we represent and the company we have become.” 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. “In an increasingly complex global environment, farmers from all over the world look to us for innovative agricultural solutions,” added Melissa Harper, Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition, Inclusion & Diversity & HR Compliance at Monsanto. “Creating those solutions will require people with diverse viewpoints and backgrounds to come together under an inclusive and innovative culture. Inclusion and diversity are vital in creating a great place to work for our employees and an essential business driver for our company.” Monsanto’s continued commitment to providing a globally inclusive and diverse culture extends not only to the more than 20,000 Monsanto employees but also to many internal and external partnerships the company has actively maintained. Examples include conducting supplier diversity mentoring and unconscious bias training; offering a number of student scholarships; working with universities; supporting strong business resource networks; and recruiting and developing top talent. “Creating an inclusive environment where employees of all ethnicities, backgrounds, genders and orientations feel welcome and able to contribute is core to creating a great place to work,” said Grant. “Our employees proudly reflect the society we live in and demonstrate the value of diverse thinking in bringing best in class agriculture solutions for the benefit of all.” Each company’s rank in the list is based on an objective analysis of 183 separate factors, based on data from a 300-question survey. To be eligible for the list, organizations must have at least 1,000 U.S.-based employees and 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 via Twitter® at #DITop50. Third-party organizations continue to recognize Monsanto as an employer of choice. Last month Great Place to Work® Institute and Fortune® magazine ranked Monsanto 11th on its 2016 list of the 50 Best Workplaces for Flexibility. Earlier this year WorldatWork awarded the company with its Alliance for Work-Life Progress (AWLP) Work-Life Seal of Distinction. The company also received awards recognizing its employees’ innovation, leadership, and workplace by Computerworld® magazine (100 Best Places to Work in IT), CR Corporate Responsibility Magazine® (100 Best Corporate Citizens) and Human Rights Campaign (Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality). 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.