From Forbes.com – April 21, 2011

by Robert Langreth

Forbes made Monsanto the company of the year last year in The Planet Versus Monsanto.
 I know because I wrote the article. Since then everything that could
have gone wrong for the genetically engineered seed company….has gone
wrong. Super-weeds that are resistant to its RoundUp weed killer are
emerging, even as weed killer sales are being hit by cheap Chinese
generics. An expensive new bioengineered corn seed with eight new genes
does not look impressive in its first harvest. And the Justice
Department is invesigating over antitrust issues. All this has led to massive share declines. Other publications are making fun of our cover story.

In this video, Forbes senior editor Matt Herper (co-author on the
orginal story) and I argue over whether Monsanto stock has a shot at
making a comeback. Matt argues that if the company opens up its
research, and comes up with some new hits that appeal to consumers (not
just farmers) it has a chance at making a comeback. It is working on a
new soybean seed for example that has naturally high levels of omega-3
fatty acids. That could appeal to health-conscious consumers.

But I’m worried that the situation is more like the one when Forbes
made Pfizer company of the year in 1998.  The company had
just introduced Viagra to worldwide acclaim and it seemed like nothing
could go wrong. Then everything did. Since then it has been all
downhill. Despite a series of mergers, buying Warner-Lambert, then
Pharmacia, then Wyeth, and now King Pharmaceuticals, the company is
struggling to deal with looming patent expirations and pipeline drugs
that keep blowing up. Like Pfizer in its field, Monsanto is destined to
remain the dominant bioengineered seed company for some time to come.
But unless it comes up with a hot new product, its growth years could
all be behind it.

Read original article and watch video