As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 16, 2018

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

_________________________________

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  February 16, 2018 (February 12, 2018)

MONSANTO COMPANY
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Delaware
001-16167
43-1878297
State of Incorporation
(Commission File Number)
(IRS Employer Identification No.)

800 North Lindbergh Boulevard
St. Louis, Missouri    63167
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)  (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (314) 694-1000

Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, If Changed Since Last Report)
_________________________________

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
[   ]
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[   ]
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[   ]
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[   ]
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
 
Emerging growth company o

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o





Item 5.02.
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On February 12, 2018, the People and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Monsanto Company (the “Company”) approved the payment of special recognition awards to certain of the Company’s officers, including its named executive officers, in recognition of the Company’s strong performance and their extraordinary leadership in connection with the Company’s pending merger with Bayer Aktiengesellschaft, including in particular the substantial additional time and effort required of such officers in connection with the regulatory review process relating to the merger while sustaining superior performance of their ordinary course responsibilities for the Company in an extremely challenging environment. With respect to the Company’s named executive officers, the special awards were paid in cash on February 13, 2018 in the amount of $2,500,000 for the chairman and chief executive officer and $250,000 for each of the other named executive officers.



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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
    

 
MONSANTO COMPANY
Date: February 16, 2018
/s/ Jennifer L. Woods
 
Jennifer L. Woods
Assistant Secretary






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