Taking Root: Corteva's pilot efforts in biodiversity and nature-related financial disclosures

Corteva’s initial efforts in integrating nature-positive financial decision-making into their core business strategies include their pilot TNFD project, which highlights both their innovative products in their pipeline as well as the partnerships they have forged to advance biodiversity and set new standards for corporate accountability.

As the world continues to focus on sustainable agriculture and its role in enhancing food security, Corteva Agriscience isn’t just participating in the conversation but leading in the field of actionable commitments.

Since announcing their biodiversity goal in 2022, they have been engaged as a thought leader and partner in piloting how to report on the biodiversity risks and opportunities, via frameworks like the recently launched Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework. The framework was developed as an impact management and disclosure guideline for organizations to report and act on evolving nature-related impacts of their operations.

Below they explore Corteva’s initial efforts in integrating nature-positive financial decision-making into their core business strategies. This includes their pilot TNFD project, which highlights both their innovative products in their pipeline as well as the partnerships they have forged to advance biodiversity and set new standards for corporate accountability.

The TNFD LEAP Framework in Agriscience and Corteva’s Biodiversity Focus

 The pilot project also features the TNFD LEAP framework—a four-stage process designed to help companies understand and manage their nature-related footprint.  The project focuses on the first two stages: "Locate," which identifies high-impact sites, and "Evaluate," which assesses nature-related impacts and dependencies.

The pilot is complemented by their own ambitious biodiversity goals, which include their aim to support biodiversity and regenerative agriculture on 25 million acres by 2030. This will be achieved through a multi-pronged approach that includes products, productivity, partnerships, and operational improvements.

Product & Productivity Innovations that Support Biodiversity and Nature

Their focus here is about creating both higher genetic gain and a sustainable agricultural ecosystem. Corteva has developed lower-profile products that excel in crop protection and crop health while maintaining a harmonious relationship with beneficial soil organisms. 

A great example is Reklemel™, a selective nematicide that targets damaging nematodes without harming beneficial soil organisms. This nuanced approach to crop protection ensures that while crops are safeguarded from pests, the soil's natural ecosystem is not disrupted.

Another example is the work they are doing to innovate across the seed technology spectrum which encompasses conventional, genetically modified, and gene-edited breeding techniques, all aimed at increasing yield while reducing the need for land-use change.  This technology can enable conservation cropping systems, like double cropping, which can reduce the need for land use change to grow additional crops. By optimizing yield per acre through advanced seed genetics and efficient cropping systems, Corteva has been instrumental in preventing approximately 240 million hectares from being converted into crop production. To put this into perspective, the amount of land preserved is equivalent to the average harvested area in the entire Western Hemisphere.

The implications of this land-saving strategy extend far beyond just preserving natural habitats. It has a direct impact on climate change mitigation by avoiding the emission of over 140 billion metric tons of CO₂ equivalent annually. This is a monumental achievement that aligns with global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Partnerships form the backbone of Corteva's biodiversity initiatives. The company has teamed up with conservation non-profits like Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever to improve plant and wildlife biodiversity across millions of acres in the U.S. These collaborations are vital for achieving broader sustainability targets and complement the TNFD pilot project.

As Aly Wells, Corteva’s Biodiversity Program Lead, says, ″The outcomes of our partnerships are designed to be quantifiable markers of our accountability, driving conservation, biodiversity, and community engagement.″

Operational Biodiversity Support

Corteva is not just talking the talk but walking the walk. At their Waialua, Hawaii Parent Seed Farm, they have implemented a diverse cover-cropping system and native tree breaks to support a healthy, productive soil system.

Each of these pillars – product innovations, productivity, partnerships and operational improvement – helped guide the implementation of the TNFD pilot project, which will help to better inform their sustainability strategy and nature-related impact assessments. By being one of the first agriscience companies to test the TNFD framework in its direct operations and sharing insights gained in this case study, Corteva reaffirms its commitment to promoting a nature-positive impact within the industry.

Indeed, their  pilot work and biodiversity goals are more than corporate commitments. They are a roadmap for a sustainable future in agriculture. By better understanding nature impacts with biodiversity preservation, Corteva is setting a precedent for how agriculture can continue to contribute to a more sustainable and financially resilient world.