Exhibit 24
                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

        Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of Michael D. Bryan and Michael L. DeCamp,  signing  singly,   the
undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

          (1)  execute   for  and  on   behalf  of  the   undersigned,   in  the
               undersigned's  capacity as an officer and/or director of Monsanto
               Company  (the  "Company"),  Forms 3, 4 and 5 in  accordance  with
               Section  16 (a) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 and the
               rules thereunder;

          (2)  do and  perform  any  and  all  acts  for  and on  behalf  of the
               undersigned  which may be  necessary or desirable to complete and
               execute  any such Form 3, 4 or 5 and  timely  file such form with
               the United  States  Securities  and Exchange  Commission  and any
               stock exchange or similar authority; and

          (3)  take any other action of any type  whatsoever in connection  with
               the foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may
               be of benefit to, in the best  interest  of, or legally  required
               by,  the  undersigned,  it being  understood  that the  documents
               executed by such  attorney-in-fact  on behalf of the  undersigned
               pursuant  to this  Power of  Attorney  shall be in such  form and
               shall    contain    such   terms   and    conditions    as   such
               attorney-in-fact's discretion.

     The undersigned hereby grants to each such  attorney-in-fact full power and
authority  to do and perform any and every act and thing  whatsoever  requisite,
necessary  or proper to be done in the  exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally  present,  with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby  ratifying  and  confirming  all  that  such  attorney-in-fact,  or  such
attorney-in-fact's  substitute or substitutes,  shall lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue of this  power of  attorney  and the  rights  and  powers  herein
granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing  attorneys-in-fact,  in
serving in such  capacity at the request of the  undersigned,  are not assuming,
nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply
with Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

     This Power of  Attorney  shall  remain in full  force and effect  until the
undersigned  is no longer  required to file Form 3, 4 and 5 with  respect to the
undersigned's  holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Company,
unless earlier revoked by the  undersigned in a signed writing  delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of this 27th day of June, 2001.


                                              /s/ Gerald A. Steiner
                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Gerald A. Steiner