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The Green Guide

Protest at Monsanto Stockholders Meeting in St. Louis

Gateway Green Alliance
P.O. Box 8094, St. Louis MO 63156
E-mail: fitzdon@aol.com or T4shea@aol.com

For Immediate Release: April 24, 1999

GATEWAY GREENS DUMP MILK AS SHAPIRO AND MONSANTO
STOCKHOLDERS WATCH

Security Outnumbers Environmentalists 100 to 1

April 24, 1999. St. Louis, Missouri. As Monsanto CEO
Robert Shapiro
addressed the company's annual stockholders meeting,
Gateway Green Alliance
(GGA) member Steve Cassilly stood up, saying, "I would
like to talk about
labeling of genetically altered food. "I will get to
that later," Shapiro
retorted.

"We need to discuss it now!," Cassilly insisted. "There
are real safety
concerns about Monsanto's blatant refusal to label their
genetically altered
food. This is being voiced by people all over the
world....And your company
wants to deny them their rightful choice.. If your food
products are so great
why don't you advertise them as genetically enhanced.î

Shapiro refused to answer the question put to him.
Cassilly continued to
prod him for an answer. He added, ìHey Bob, I would
like an answer to my
question.î In protest Cassilly then poured a container
of milk onto the
carpet saying loudly, "This is what I think of your
hormones in our milk."
His action referred to the Monsanto produced rBGH
(recombinant Bovine Growth
Hormone), which is injected into cows to increase milk
production. Many
independent health experts believe the hormone is
responsible for health
threats to both cows and people. The future of rBGH is
dubious, as the US
remains the only industrialized country allowing its
use.

Stockholders watched as Cassilly then dismissed himself
from the meeting
escorted by a number of security personnel and
eventually by local
authorities.

During discussion, one shareholder, a farmer, voiced
concern about the closed
market in Europe and the announcment by Archer Daniels
Midland not accepting
genetically modified crops. He also added that he was
troubled by the huge
benefits and compensation being given to board members
while dividends
remained almost non existent. Shapiro glossed over the
market issue and
replied to the farmer that, "We are working very hard at
this company, we're
not just sitting around smoking cigars." Referring to
the amount of money
executives are making.

Some stockholders commented on the intense levels of
security. One asked
Shapiro, "With so many guards, how did those people ever
manage to throw a
pie in your face?"

According to Tammy Shea, the other Gateway Green
present, "With over 200
security guards, they outnumbered Steve and me 100 to 1.
There was a lot of
confusion created when the meeting was changed from its
announced location at
Monsanto World Headquarters to the Solutia compound.

The supposedly independent Solutia separated from
Monsanto in 1998.

"Guards followed me wherever I went," she noted.
Monsanto security had
attempted to block her entrance into the meeting. When
she connected them by
phone to her stockbroker, they reluctantly stood back.

Shea felt that "A lot of stockholders are worried.
Clearly the topic of what
to do about the European markets not being completely
open to genetically
modified imports is a touchy one with Shapiro and
shareholders. When I asked
Shapiro to offer further opinion on that subject, his
response created an
unsettled feeling that was clear to everyone.î

Outside Monsanto World Headquarters, two dozen GGA
members picketed and
chatted with reporters. Asked why they were there, Don
Fitz explained "We
want to urge Monsanto stockholders to consider the
viability of a company
which is putting all of its effort into genetic
engineering at the same time
the technology is being protested throughout the world."

The environmental group is particularly concerned with
the high levels of
cancer-causing Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1) in
milk. GGA spokesperson
Daniel Romano stated "It is clear that cows injected
with rBGH release IGF-1
into their milk. When people drink this milk, they have
an increased risk of
colon, breast and prostate cancer."

The Gateway Green Alliance is a chapter of the Missouri
Green Party and the
Greens/Green Party USA, one of several organizations
participating the
"Global Days of Action against Genetic Engineering."
During April 22-28,
demonstrations and teach-ins are being held in the US,
Canada and Europe.
For more information

Contact: Tammy Shea, 314-458-5026 (voice/fax);
Don Fitz, 314-727-8554