Daschle to chair new DuPont ag advisory committee

Feedstuffs 

2/11/2010

DuPont announced the creation of an advisory committee on Agricultural Innovation & Productivity for the 21st Century, chaired by former U.S. Sen. Thomas A. Daschle, as part of the company's focus to meet the world's increasing demands for food, feed, fiber and fuel.

Among other initiatives, the advisory committee will build upon existing research, while examining the best public-policy mechanisms to ensure that by 2050 the world's farmers will have the tools to increase current agricultural production in order to fill the looming global food needs.

DuPont executive vice president James C. Borel and leader of Pioneer Hi-Bred said as the world is facing increasing demand on its limited resources, it is critical to find "sustainable, science-based solutions that work for both the planet and for the global farming community." said DuPont Executive Vice President James C. Borel, who leads the company's production agriculture businesses Pioneer Hi-Bred and Crop Protection.

The world's population is expected to grow to more than 9 billion people by 2050.

"As a result, agricultural innovation and any successful solution to the threatened food gap must empower scientific and technological advances; an open competitive marketplace; collaboration among researchers, farmers, governments and corporations; governmental leadership; and the global farming community," said Daschle, who represented South Dakota in the Senate and served as Senate Majority leader.

The advisory committee, chartered Feb. 11, will meet with DuPont's senior leadership, including Borel and Pioneer President Paul E. Schickler. The advisory committee will present its public-policy recommendations to DuPont in March, 2011. The committee will be supported by ex-officio member Dean Oestreich, former Pioneer chairman, among others who will be named in the coming weeks.

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