Seeding Change

Corteva Agriscience supports Delaware agriculture through sustainable innovation

BY RICK DEADWYLER

CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE is proud to be the only major agriscience company in the U.S. and with over a century of legacy roots in the First State, our mission to help farmers produce high-quality, affordable and nutritious food fits squarely within Delaware’s storied agricultural and innovation traditions.

At Corteva, we are first and foremost a technology company. In fact, we invest nearly $4 million every day of the year in innovation. Our scientists are not only looking at the challenges of today, but consistently looking ahead—more than 10 years ahead—to anticipate what farmers and growers will need to increase the number of crops they can grow all while addressing a changing climate, new pest and disease pressures, a growing population, and consumer demand for more sustainability.

Like the farmers we serve, sustainability is at the core of our strategy, our business, and how we think about the future of both. Helping Delaware farmers weather the challenges of population growth, changes in our climate, and regulatory and pest pressures has never been more important. Newer technologies, such as gene editing, open entirely new ways to meet these challenges by developing products such as disease resistant crops. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are enabling us to virtually screen and iterate more hybrids, genes, proteins, and crop protection products than ever before, fueling innovation in every area of our science. We could not be more excited to bring all these tools to the hands of farmers. These innovations include our Enlist E3® soybeans that are preferred by farmers across America. Our biotechnology scientists developed soybeans tolerant to three of the most effective herbicides developed. These traits were then incorporated into high yielding soybean varieties, including Corteva’s Pioneer® brand A-Series and premier Pioneer® brand Z-Series soybeans. Advanced formulation technology substantially reduces the physical drift and volatility of Enlist herbicides, meaning it stays where it’s sprayed. This is a great example of our commitment to sustainable agriculture. We’re also proud that elements of the Enlist™ Weed Control System have won many industry recognitions, including three different AGROW Awards.

In 2020, we committed that 100% of newly developed Corteva solutions in our pipeline would meet our sustainability criteria aligned to UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2025. Earlier this year we were proud to announce that we have met this milestone ahead of our 2025 goal. However, we recognize there’s more to be done.

We will continue to advance sustainably advantaged crop protection and seed innovations in our pipeline and develop solutions for our frontier markets of biologicals and biofuels. In 2023, we completed the acquisition of two biological plant health companies, making us a global leader in biologicals, a group of diverse technologies of natural origin that help farmers optimize crop potential in organic and conventional production systems alike.

Our support of agriculture extends well beyond the farm and we’re proud of several initiatives in Delaware to raise awareness of food systems and food security, especially among youth. Today, for instance, we work closely with and support small farm operations and community garden initiatives with the Food Bank of Delaware, Boys and Girls Clubs of Delaware, Delaware Center for Horticulture, Delaware Nature Society, The Warehouse (Reach Riverside), and Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids.

Additionally, we support Delaware FFA and their work of teaching and growing the next generation of farmers and agriculture leaders. Through the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, FAME, and Winterthur Museum and Gardens, we also fund STEM programs as technology continues to play such a massive role in the transformation of modern agriculture. We also support scholarships for agriculture students at Delaware State University and continue to be a major contributor and partner to the United Way of Delaware, which I am privileged to continue to serve as chair of the board.

We’re proud to support agriculture in Delaware and the farmers… and future farmers who help feed and fuel the world.

Rick Deadwyler oversees government and industry affairs for Corteva’s U.S. East Region.