Monsanto Fund Opportunity Scholarships Program Celebrating 25 Years

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/17/16 -- The Monsanto Fund Opportunity Scholarship Program that farm families across Canada have benefited from for the past 25 years looks a little different in 2016. This year's program is embracing the link between agriculture and food, and is now accepting applications from Grade 12 students raised on the farm or off the farm.

Sponsored by the philanthropic arm of Monsanto Company, this program has traditionally offered graduating Grade 12 students from farm families the opportunity to capture one of 65 entrance scholarships valued at $1,500 each to help fund post-secondary studies in agriculture or agriculture-related fields. This year eligible students can choose to pursue a post-secondary education in agriculture or food-related programs, including fields of study such as nutrition or the culinary arts. Up to 25 of a total of 65 scholarships will be offered to students from non-farm backgrounds.

Thousands of deserving students have received a total of more than $1.7 million since the program launched using corporate funds in 1991. Transition to the Monsanto Fund in 2012 has enabled more students to win scholarships due to consistent funding for the program.

"Our focus remains on encouraging quality young people to pursue careers in agriculture, and the majority of the scholarships will go to students from farms," said Kelly Funke, public affairs manager with Monsanto Canada. "But more and more we are seeing that careers in food production, food preparation and nutrition are all part of the larger food system. That system needs great minds from many different walks of life."

Monsanto Fund Opportunity Scholarships are open to students who:

--  Come from a family farm or other background, with confirmed plans to
    enroll in their first year of post-secondary education in agriculture or
    food-related studies at a Canadian educational institution;

--  Have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership capabilities, and a
    keen interest and involvement in their community;

--  Submit a completed application form, which includes an essay that
    outlines what role the student believes Canadian agriculture can play in
    the future of food and how they will contribute. They must also have a
    farmer or food professional provide a reference letter. All applications
    must be post-marked not later than June 15, 2016.

Scholarship application forms and posters in both French and English are in the process of being distributed to high schools, 4-H clubs, provincial and federal agriculture offices, farm retail outlets and seed companies. Application forms and complete program details can be accessed online at www.monsanto.ca.

All applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of judges and winning entries will be announced in September 2016. The Monsanto Fund Opportunity Scholarship program will provide 65 scholarships to deserving students this year.

As the philanthropic arm of Monsanto, the Monsanto Fund works to improve the lives of people around the world. Its giving is focused on strengthening both farming communities and the communities where Monsanto employees live and work. The Monsanto Fund seeks opportunities to support initiatives in two main areas:

--  Providing basic education support designed to improve education in
    farming communities around the world, including supporting schools,
    libraries, science centres, farmer training programs and academic
    programs that enrich or supplement school programs.

--  Meeting critical needs in communities by supporting nonprofit
    organizations that help with things such as food security, sanitation,
    access to clean water, public safety and various other local needs.

About the Monsanto Fund

The Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Company, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where farmers and Monsanto Company employees live and work. Visit the Monsanto Fund at www.monsantofund.org.

About Monsanto Canada

Headquartered in Winnipeg, MB, Monsanto Canada Inc. is part of the larger global Monsanto Company. Monsanto is an agricultural company committed to bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We produce a variety of seeds ranging from fruits and vegetables to key crops - such as corn, soybeans, canola and cotton - that help farmers produce abundant and nutritious food. We work to find sustainable agriculture solutions that help farmers conserve natural resources, use data to improve farming practices, use water and other important resources more efficiently, and protect their crops from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships, we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities and others to help tackle some of the world's biggest challenges. To learn more about Monsanto, please visit: www.monsanto.ca or follow us on Twitter @MonsantoCda.

Contacts:
Monsanto Canada
Kelly Funke
(204) 985-1035

Source: Monsanto Canada Inc.

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