At Bayer, we trust farmers and we want them to have access to innovations that help grow abundant crops. At the same time, there are increasing societal concerns about the impact modern agriculture has on the environment. We must find a way to produce enough food for a growing population, but in a way that protects our planet. Future innovation will not be judged by its ability to produce more but to produce better.

Shaping agriculture begins with three commitments — to be accomplished by 2030 — that guide how we make decisions and act as a company.

By developing innovative technologies such as digital farming, new crop protection tools, precision application, and plant breeding tools, we can scale down the volume of crop protection products applied on farms and reduce our impact on the environment.

Bayer Intacta RR2-PRO? soybeans, for example, have produced 20 million incremental tons of soybeans in South America. Since the introduction of these soybean seeds, farmers in South America have reduced their environmental impact by 30.6% — and the volume of pesticides has been reduced by more than 10%.

Another recent innovation, DripByDrip irrigation allows crop protection products to be applied in the right quantities at the right time. During initial field tests, tomato farmers in Mexico noticed more productive harvests using less water, less pesticide, and fewer applications.

In partnership with farmers and value chain stakeholders, Bayer will work toward a carbon-zero future in the main regions we serve. Led by digital tools and data, we will provide tailored solutions to both farmers and consumers.

Climate FieldView? technology is already reducing greenhouse gas emissions — as well as runoff into water — by offering monitoring tools that help farmers use nitrogen more efficiently.

A joint venture between Bayer and Ginkgo Bioworks, Joyn Bio is creating microbes that can protect and promote plant health in crops like corn, wheat, and rice. By extracting nitrogen from the air and radically reducing the need for man-made fertilizers, we are reducing a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

At Bayer, we seek to understand the needs of smallholder farmers. By investing in their heritage, we’re developing sustainable practices and digital tools that help fuel success. Together with our partners, we aim to increase the social and economic impact that smallholder farmers can have on poverty and hunger, improving health and spurring economic development for families, communities, and nations.

Through Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) — a multi-stakeholder collaboration aimed at improving food security and livelihoods among smallholder farmers — Bayer provides research and technical expertise to develop and deploy locally adapted maize hybrids to seed companies in Sub-Saharan Africa at no cost.

We have already taken an important first step by making all 107 Bayer-owned glyphosate safety studies public. Later this year, we will pilot a program inviting scientists, journalists and NGOs to participate in our preparation for the upcoming EU glyphosate re-registration process.

Our new standard is to not only give access to studies about what we do, but also to show how they are conducted and how we do it.

In 2012 we unilaterally stopped selling any pesticide, regardless of regulatory approval status, that is named by the WHO as a WHO acute toxicity Class 1. After listening to feedback from several industry leaders, we are making more changes to how we approve products for market.

We will apply consistent safety standards to our products — even when it means exceeding local regulations. We will only sell crop protection products in developing markets that meet the safety standards of the local market, as well as the standards of a majority of leading regulators. And we will look to work with stakeholders to ensure that this commitment is implemented globally.

We intend to give farmers access to more tools — from chemical and non-chemical tools to digital advancements and agronomic support — in order to manage weeds. Over the next decade, we will invest 5 billion Euros in new weed management solutions, empowering farmers to implement sustainable strategies by 2029. This R&D investment will go towards improving the understanding of resistance mechanisms, discovering and developing new modes of action, further developing tailored integrated weed management (IWM) solutions and recommendations through digital farming tools and insights, and enhancing partnerships with weed scientists around the world to help tailor customized solutions to farmers at the local level.

We will convene the brightest minds in chemistry, biology and data sciences to drive agriculture forward. To bolster company-wide sustainability efforts, inspire new thinking and challenge our standards, we will invite global experts and stakeholders to participate in a Bayer Sustainability Council.

We will invite global experts and stakeholders to participate in a Bayer Sustainability Council.

Serving as a sounding board for Bayer’s leadership team, this international council will help set new standards for transparency in our industry and will measure our ongoing progress.