Monsanto (Owned by Bayer S.A.) — Ethics Grade F

Monsanto (Owned by Bayer S.A.) receives an overall ethics grade of F (12/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Agriculture. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 40
• privacy: 80
• consumer: 10
• environment: 5
• humanRights: 15

Documented incidents (3)

• Glyphosate Cancer Litigation (high, 2018) — A jury awarded $289M to a groundskeeper who alleged Monsanto's Roundup caused his Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Over 100,000 similar lawsuits followed.
• PCB Water Contamination (high, 2020) — Monsanto agreed to pay $650M to settle claims that it contaminated US waterways with PCBs, chemicals banned in 1979 but that persist in the environment.
• Seed Monopolization in India (high, 2015) — Critics and activists have long linked Monsanto's high seed prices and debt cycles to a crisis of farmer suicides in India, though the company disputes the causal link.

Documented good deeds

• Water-Efficient Seed Development — Developed genetically modified crops that require significantly less water, aimed at helping farmers adapt to climate change.

Ethical alternatives

• Johnny's Selected Seeds — Employee-owned company specializing in non-GMO seeds and supporting organic farming practices.