MONHEIM, GERMANY - At the Future of Farming Dialogue 2018, Bayer outlined its vision for the future of agriculture.
“Farmers are hungry for innovation that will help them grow more with less and help ensure adequate access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food now and in the future,” said Liam Condon, a member of the Bayer Board of Management and President of the Crop Science Division, during his presentation.
The Future of Farming Dialogue brought together thought leaders and stakeholders from various walks of life to discuss ways to make the world’s food system more sustainable for the benefit of farmers, consumers, and the planet.
“Our world faces enormous challenges including a changing climate, limited natural resources, and a growing population,” said Condon. “We believe agriculture is a crucial part of the solution, and we have a highly talented global team working responsibly together and collaborating with partners to find better solutions to these challenges.”
Throughout the presentation, Bayer focused on three things: digital transformation, innovation, and sustainability.
Condon noted that digital transformation is one of the driving forces of innovation, giving farmers completely new ways to look at their fields and providing them with data and insights to make smarter decisions.
“Digital tools have shaped many industries, and we are just scratching the surface on what it means for agriculture,” Condon said. “Through the power of new digital tools and data analytics we can help increase farmer productivity and sustainability.”
One of the ways in which Bayer is driving digital transformation is through its Climate FieldView™ digital agriculture platform in Europe. The platform—also available in the United States, Canada, and Brazil—enables farmers to easily collect and visualize field data, analyze and evaluate crop performance, and manage their field variability through customized fertility and seeding plans to optimize crop productivity.
Climate’s digital platform is only one example of the type of innovation Bayer aims to deliver to farmers.
“We now have thousands of employees dedicated to research and development around the world with market-leading expertise in breeding, biology, chemistry, and data science,” said Bob Reiter, the new Head of Research & Development for the Crop Science Division. “I know their combined creativity, collaborative spirit, and passion for discovery will help drive tailored solutions for farmers while also driving our business. Breakthrough innovation always happens at the intersection of various scientific disciplines.”
Launching in 2019, vayego™, a foliar and soil-applied insecticide for the use in rice, corn, and horticulture crops, is an innovation in crop protection offering farmers a broad and multifaceted range of benefits for controlling destructive caterpillars as well as some beetles and sucking pests.
However, technological innovation alone will not be enough to help the world meet the future challenges in agriculture.
“In order to contribute significantly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we need to ensure that our focus on innovation is not only concerned with technological innovation, but also with social innovation that is inclusive and promotes truly sustainable and holistic growth for local communities,” said Jesus Madrazo, the new Head of Agricultural Affairs and Sustainability for the Crop Science Division. “So, when I think of sustainability, it’s really about how we can, for example, help both smallholder farmers in Africa as well as large soybean growers in the U.S. or Brazil, help them protect the health and vitality of their land so that they can pass it on to the next generation in better shape than when they took it over.”
The company also underlines its strong commitment to transparency. According to a press release, by giving access to safety relevant crop protection studies, Bayer wants to explain what lies behind the registration of a crop protection product and how the safety of such a product is tested.
To learn more about Bayer’s vision of modern agriculture and the tools the company offers for farmers, click here.
