Bayer has said that it is ‘committed to shaping a more sustainable food system’ as the multinational giant welcomed a wide range of industry stakeholders to its 2019 Future of Farming Dialogue, with the theme ‘tomorrow belongs to all of us.’
The event gathered speakers and participants from some 40 countries for two days of discussion, talks and interviews on the issues and opportunities facing the industry. Topics discussed included the need to find a balance between production of food and preservation of our planet; healthy diets and the importance of crop protection tools for sustainable agriculture.
“Agriculture needs to feed a growing world without starving the planet”, said Liam Condon, member of the Bayer Board of Management and president of the Crop Science Division. “Breakthrough innovations are needed so that farmers can grow enough food for a growing world population while preserving natural resources. As an agriculture leader, we have the opportunity and responsibility to address the global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and food security to help create a better tomorrow for our planet.”
During the event Bayer made three commitments which it says will be implemented by 2030:
- Reduce the environmental impact of crop protection by 30 per cent by developing new technologies to scale down crop protection product volumes and enable a more precise application
- Reduce field greenhouse gases emissions from the most emitting crops systems in the regions Bayer serves by 30 percent
- Empower 100 million smallholder farmers in developing countries around the world.
Photo source: Bayer