Position Statements

DuPont has numerous business interests in the food and agriculture arena, including seeds, crop protection, food safety and packaging, nutrition, and biofuels.  The company's science and technology contribute greatly to providing safe and affordable food, while advancing energy and related technologies.

DuPont is committed to being part of the solution. We are deeply concerned about the world's need to meet the demand for food as well as the energy and materials that protect and improve people's lives.  Meeting these critical challenges will require the combined efforts of people and organizations all over the world.

Increasing productivity on currently farmed acres is the first and best choice for addressing the need for more food. DuPont has been working to improve food productivity for many decades.  Due to our efforts and those of scientists and farmers all over the world, much more food is produced per acre now than ever before in history.  Pioneer's technology has helped farmers see average yields rise from 29 bushels/acre in 1937 to 151 in 2007.  DuPont intends to increase the yields of its corn hybrids and soybean varieties by 40% within the next 10 years.  Still, more improvements are needed. 

The solutions must be holistic and must be environmentally, economically and socially sustainable over time. The challenges of feeding the world will not be solved easily.  The world must take a long-term view that enlists the best ideas and technologies to address not only the current needs but also those of the coming decades as world population continues to grow. 

DuPont will continue to learn from others as it works to develop solutions to help address the global challenges of meeting the world's needs. We know we do not have all the answers.  New solutions will continue to emerge from technological advances and with thoughtful input from a wide range of interested parties. DuPont will continue to work closely with other stakeholders so that together we can help deliver the best solutions for people and the environment.

• Crop Yields, Grain & Feedstock Quality. Building on its history, DuPont continues to work on advanced plant breeding, biotechnology, crop protection, and other innovations for crop productivity gains.  DuPont is also incorporating traits into plants that reduce crop losses and improve crop grain and feedstock quality.  In all geographies, more work is needed in agricultural productivity and environmental protection, and DuPont is committed to applying our science toward this effort.  Farmers have already demonstrated impressive yield increases while improving environmental protection.  There are additional gains to be made by helping farmers in developing countries increase use of advanced technologies.  These farmers could benefit from adopting both traditional hybrids as well as genetically enhanced seeds.
• Enhanced nutrition and food safety. DuPont is actively engaged in developing, producing, and distributing nutritious foods and food ingredients.  We also provide equipment and materials that the food industry and regulatory agencies use to monitor and protect products from microbial contamination, helping assure that what food is produced reaches the consumer in a safe and usable manner. DuPont Packaging Solutions help food manufacturers create foods that are easy-to-enjoy, flavorful and protected from contaminants.  Extending the shelf-life of foods saves consumers money and prevents waste.  (Globally, some 15-20% of food is wasted due to a range of causes.)
• Life Cycle Studies. DuPont utilizes cradle to grave life cycle studies to assess the sustainability of agricultural practices and to minimize the environmental footprint of our manufacturing processes.
• Beneficial Uses of Co-products. DuPont is exploring opportunities for beneficial use of co-products from bio-manufacturing processes, such as residual biomass from ethanol production for food, feed and renewably-sourced materials.
• Biofuels. DuPont is active in the transition from petroleum-based transportation fuels to renewably-sourced fuels by working on the next generation of biofuel production technologies, which are focused on better utilization of agricultural feedstocks, including non-food materials (such as cellulosic biomass), and high-performance biofuels. 
• Energy Efficiency. DuPont science contributes in many ways to greater energy efficiency.  As examples, DuPont technologies improve the performance of solar panels, and advanced materials help reduce the weight of transportation vehicles, thus increasing fuel efficiency.