Leaders from five major Canadian farm commodity organizations have come together to advance the interests of Canadian growers through a collaborative advisory panel established by Monsanto Canada.

Building on the success of the Monsanto Grower Advisory Council established in the U.S. in 2001, the Canadian Grower Advisory Council will provide strategic advice and guidance to the company on issues that impact its Canadian business and identify new opportunities to help Canadian growers capture increased value from the crops they produce.

"Monsanto Canada is fully committed to building stronger relationships and trust with our farm customers," said Sean Gardner, vice-president and general manager of Monsanto Canada. "The formation of the Grower Advisory Council in Canada establishes a formal, reasoned process whereby we can listen and respond to our customers and involve them directly in helping us make decisions about the development, use and stewardship of our agricultural technologies."

The formation of a Grower Advisory Council for Canada is also consistent with the principles outlined in the Monsanto Pledge, a set of values that governs how Monsanto will behave as a company. Under the "Dialogue" principle, the pledge specifically states: "we will listen carefully to diverse points of view and engage in thoughtful dialogue. We will broaden our understanding of issues in order to better address the needs and concerns of society and each other."

Among its primary objectives, the Council will identify ways for Monsanto to add value for Canadian growers through its innovations; provide a formal process for Monsanto to hear and respond to grower feedback; serve as a sounding board for reviewing Monsanto actions, positions and policies before they are finalized; and provide a link for sharing information with provincial and national farm organizations.

The Monsanto Canada Grower Advisory Council is chaired by former Canadian Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Charlie Mayer and is comprised of executives and farm leaders from five Canadian agricultural commodity organizations. The group held its introductory meeting November 26-27, 2006 in Winnipeg and is committed to meeting twice annually.

"I believe the history of Canadian agriculture and the relationships between producers and industry has been far too adversarial. Today, producers and other industry players need to work harder at adopting a cooperative approach to solving issues and addressing challenges facing our sector," said Mayer. "I see the establishment of this Council as a way of improving communication between Monsanto management and Canadian producers and believe strongly it will be a beneficial process for everyone involved, including Canadian producers."

Mayer was asked to lead the Council because of his significant track record working with growers and industry throughout his 15 years in the Canadian House of Commons and his extensive understanding of the Canadian agricultural sector. During his nine years as a Federal Cabinet Minister in the Government of the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, Mr. Mayer held various posts including: Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Western Economic Diversification, Minister of State for Grain and Oilseeds, and Minister of State for the Canadian Wheat Board. He has participated in many national and international meetings on behalf of the Government of Canada, including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (now the World Trade Organization) negotiations, the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Cairns Group.

Other members of the Monsanto Canada Grower Advisory Council are:
- Ryan Brown, general manager, Ontario Corn Producers Association;
- Brian Chorney, vice-president Canadian Canola Growers Association;
- Greg Devries, chairman, Ontario Soybean Growers;
- Ernie Doerksen, general manager, Canadian Canola Growers Association;
- Doug Eadie, president, Ontario Corn Producers Association;
- Jim Grey, general manager, Ontario Soybean Growers;
- Cherilyn Jolly-Nagel, president, Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association;
- Richard Phillips, executive director, Grain Growers of Canada;
- Blair Rutter, executive director, Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association;
- Jim Smolik, past-president, Grain Growers of Canada.

Also joining the producer groups on the Council are Monsanto Canada representatives Sean Gardner, vice-president and general manager; John Dossetor, government affairs lead; and Trish Jordan, public affairs lead.

Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality. Learn more about Monsanto or the Monsanto Pledge at www.monsanto.ca.