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Case Study

Monsanto's genetically modified organisms: The battle for hearts and shopping aisles

By Ulrich Steger, Catherine Anne Ramus and Carina Hum

18 pages

August 2000

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Reference: IMD-2-0086

Monsanto, an American company founded in 1901 originally specialized in chemicals. In 1995 the firm reoriented its strategy around more lucrative, but unproven, fields such as agricultural biotechnology. The case describes how in the space of a few years, Monsanto becomes market leader of bio-engineered cereal crops–commonly known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs)–but is accused of applying an unsafe gene technology and trying to dominate world food supplies. The firm is caught up in a worldwide controversy. The case documents how Monsanto was implicated in a trade dispute and reacted poorly to public criticism, particularly in its lack of dialogue with stakeholders. Overall, the case illustrates how public pressure obliged Monsanto to stop following a promising strategy.

Keywords

Environment, Agricultural Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, Corporate Sustainability Management

Settings

Europe, United States of America
1995-1999

Type

Published Sources

Available Languages

English

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