<PAGE> 1
                                                                 EXHIBIT 24.1



                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

That each person whose signature appears below, as a Director or Officer of
Monsanto Company (the "Company"), a Delaware corporation with its general
offices in the County of St. Louis, Missouri, does hereby make, constitute
and appoint R. WILLIAM IDE III, BARBARA L. BLACKFORD, SONYA M. DAVIS or ERIC
R. FENCL, or any of them acting alone, his or her true and lawful attorneys,
with full power of substitution and resubstitution, in his or her name, place
and stead, in any and all capacities, to execute and sign the Annual Report
on Form 10-K or registration statements including (i) registration statements
on Form S-8 covering the registration of additional securities of the Company
to be issued under the Monsanto Shared Success Stock Option Plan, the
Monsanto Company ERISA Parity Savings and Investment Plan, and the Monsanto
Savings and Investment Plan, (ii) any amendment to any registration statement
previously filed by the Company, and (iii) any registration statement on Form
S-8 covering the registration of securities to issued under new or existing
stock-based incentive plans, and any and all Amendments thereto and documents
in connection therewith to be filed with the Commission under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, giving and granting unto said attorneys full power and
authority to do and perform such actions as fully as they might have done or
could do if personally present and executing any of said documents.

Dated and effective as of the 27th day of February, 1998.



            <F*>                                         <F*>
---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Robert B. Shapiro, Director and             Nicholas L. Reding, Director
 Principal Executive Officer


            <F*>
---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Robert M. Heyssel, Director                 John S. Reed, Director


            <F*>                                         <F*>
---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Michael Kantor, Director                    John E. Robson, Director


            <F*>                                         <F*>
---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Gwendolyn S. King, Director                 William D. Ruckelshaus, Director



<PAGE> 2

            <F*>                                         <F*>
---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Philip Leder, Director                      Robert B. Hoffman, Principal
                                             Financial Officer

            <F*>                                         <F*>
---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Jacobus F. M. Peters, Director              Michael R. Hogan, Principal
                                             Accounting Officer



<PAGE> 3


                               POWER OF ATTORNEY


KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

That each person whose signature appears below, as a Director or Officer of
Monsanto Company (the "Company"), a Delaware corporation with its general
offices in the County of St. Louis, Missouri, does hereby make, constitute
and appoint R. WILLIAM IDE III, BARBARA L. BLACKFORD, SONYA M. DAVIS or ERIC
R. FENCL, or any of them acting alone, his or her true and lawful attorneys,
with full power of substitution and resubstitution, in his or her name, place
and stead, in any and all capacities, to execute and sign the Annual Report
on Form 10-K or registration statements including (i) registration statements
on Form S-8 covering the registration of additional securities of the Company
to be issued under the Monsanto Shared Success Stock Option Plan, the
Monsanto Company ERISA Parity Savings and Investment Plan, and the Monsanto
Savings and Investment Plan, (ii) any amendment to any registration statement
previously filed by the Company, and (iii) any registration statement on Form
S-8 covering the registration of securities to issued under new or existing
stock-based incentive plans, and any and all Amendments thereto and documents
in connection therewith to be filed with the Commission under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, giving and granting unto said attorneys full power and
authority to do and perform such actions as fully as they might have done or
could do if personally present and executing any of said documents.

Dated and effective as of the 26th day of February, 1998.




---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Robert B. Shapiro, Director and             Nicholas L. Reding, Director
 Principal Executive Officer


                                                        <F*>
---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Robert M. Heyssel, Director                 John S. Reed, Director



---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Michael Kantor, Director                    John E. Robson, Director



---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Gwendolyn S. King, Director                 William D. Ruckelshaus, Director



<PAGE> 4


---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Philip Leder, Director                      Robert B. Hoffman, Principal
                                             Financial Officer


---------------------------------           ---------------------------------
Jacobus F. M. Peters, Director              Michael R. Hogan, Principal
                                             Accounting Officer