monsanto 2004 08a

- Monsanto's business focuses on agriculture globally through seeds and traits, agricultural productivity, and biotechnology. Key products include Roundup herbicide, YieldGard corn borer trait, and Roundup Ready soybeans. - Roundup remains the leading herbicide but Monsanto is shifting strategy to improve return on capital by reducing SKUs and marketing spend. Seed and trait sales are projected to grow significantly with second-generation and stacked traits. - Biotech trait acreage has grown to over 150 million acres worldwide led by Roundup Ready soybeans, corn, and cotton traits. However, further growth depends on approvals in Europe and value capture systems in markets like Brazil.