Corteva releases 2023 Sustainability Report

Recently, Corteva Agri-Tech released the 2023 Sustainability Report, detailing the measurable progress and future goals of Corteva’s four focus areas of sustainability, of which sustainable innovation is one of these four focus areas.

Why insist on innovation? 

Innovation provides enough food and fuel for a growing population. In 2023, the amount of land needed to grow 200 bushels of corn is about 1.1 acres. In 1926, about 7.8 acres were needed. Nearly 100 years of technological development have dramatically increased agricultural productivity and saved at least 500 million more acres of land to protect future agricultural potential and natural biodiversity.

• 1950-1980 - The era of synthetic pesticides
   
• 1990-2000 - Genetically modified crops and biologics make their debut
   
• Beyond 2020 - Gene editing and biologics accelerate
   
• Thanks to industry-wide technological innovation, farmers around the world have increased their yields by an average of 30 per cent over the past 20 years.

Thanks to industry-wide technological innovation, farmers around the world have increased their yields by an average of 30 per cent over the past 20 years. 

How does Corteva advance its own sustainable innovation? 

Corteva has more than 120 research centers around the world, more than 2,000 test fields, and invests nearly $4 million a day in research and development. By 2023, Corteva has achieved that 100% of newly developed products in its pipeline meet Corteva’s sustainability standards, which are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Breeding and Gene editing 

For nearly 100 years, Corteva has been a global pioneer in seed innovation. Every crop seed Corteva has grown has helped increase average yields per acre in a variety of environments around the world. In the United States, for example, corn growers using Corteva seeds increased their yields by 150 bushels per acre, and some farmers even set a world record for corn yields by more than 623 bushels per acre.

Now we are in the era of gene editing, and Corteva remains a leader in this transformative innovation. In the company's R&D pipeline, progress has been made with proprietary gene editing technology used to address the early stages of several corn diseases in North America. Using CRISPR genome editing technology, Corteva has been able to identify, locate and precisely put together disease-resistant traits that are already present in the maize genome.

By innovating with advanced breeding techniques, Corteva aims to harness and replicate naturally occurring processes to accelerate the development of seeds with better stress resistance and yield, thereby helping farmers to further increase yields and reduce environmental impact.

Plant protection and Biologics 

As people began to understand how the improper use of pesticides affected people and the environment, the management of crop diseases, insects and weeds began to change. Plant protection products with lower usage, more targeted and less environmental impact are increasingly favored by the market.

Corteva has been committed to the development and promotion of environmentally friendly plant protection products to adapt to the trend of sustainable development. The products that Corteva has launched in China in the past few years are all solutions that take into account efficiency and sustainability. In China, 20 products  of Corteva have been certified by the China Green Food Association as production inputs under the specific green capital mark for licensed use.

In the future, biologics will become the fastest growing category in the crop protection market and become one of the important drivers of sustainable agricultural development. The industry expects the product category to account for 25% of the entire market in 2035, reaching a potential scale of $30 billion. At present, Corteva has launched its first biologics product in China, and has received a positive response in the market. Farmers have found that biologics performs well under persistent high pressures and temperatures, making it a powerful tool for fruit and vegetable growers. In addition, Corteva completed the acquisitions of Symborg and Stoller last year, further consolidating its position as a leader in the global biologics market.

Bio-Fuel 

Corteva is helping to promote the positive role of biofuels in the global energy transition. In the United States alone, annual demand for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuels is expected to grow to 8 billion gallons over the next decade.

In 2023, Corteva, Bunge, and Chevron are working together on a commercial partnership to work with growers in selected parts of the United States to increase the planting of Corteva’s unique winter canola hybrids during their crop rotation cycle to supply plant-based oils and further process them into feedstock for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel. With approximately 45% oil, this rapeseed can be used as an excellent source of biofuel feedstock, and the rotation cover model does not occupy land, does not compete with people for food, and provides an additional income for growers, which will play an increasingly important role in the development of the next generation of low-carbon feedstock strategies.

Corteva is committed to being an industry leader in providing innovative and sustainable solutions to farmers around the world today and in the future. We hope that through the various sustainable innovations we are taking today, we can help farmers produce more food while contributing to a sustainable agricultural industry for future generations.