"Monsanto Co. has found fertile ground in genetically modified crops and a global agricultural boom, but the world’s largest seed maker also harvests its share of controversy. To critics, it is a proponent of risky food and a symbol of a food system dominated by a few giant companies at the expense of small farmers. An attempted price increase in 2010 set off a backlash among farmers, and some investors have questioned the long-term viability of Monsanto’s products as some weeds have proven resistant to its top herbicide and some bugs have penetrated its genetically modified corn. Monsanto Chief Executive Hugh Grant says the company has gotten back to the basics of reconnecting with its customers. And its history as a chemical maker, where a legacy company produced Agent Orange, has saddled Monsanto with a lingering stigma it has found hard to shake."
