DuPont announces goals for its contribution to help improve food security globally; goals include investing US$10B in R&D, developing 4,000 new products focused on producing more food, enhancing nutrition, food and agriculture sustainablity

Alison Gallant

WASHINGTON , February 2, 2012 (press release) – Calls on Others to Join Effort to End Global Hunger

Responding to the challenge of global hunger, DuPont today announced goals for its contribution to help improve food security around the world.

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"No one company, country or non-profit organization can meet the challenge of feeding the world alone. But each of us can commit to doing our part and hold ourselves accountable to make a meaningful contribution to this global challenge," said Ellen Kullman, DuPont Chair and CEO. "Establishing specific, measurable goals for what we can do to address that challenge is key to turning talk into results."

DuPont's food security goals – which address innovation, education and rural community development – will be tracked along with DuPont sustainability goals. DuPont was one of the first companies to establish sustainability goals in the 1990s and has consistently surpassed its commitments.

The DuPont food security goals, to be achieved by the end of 2020, include:

Innovating to Feed the World: Investing $10 billion in research and development and introducing 4,000 new products centered on producing more food; enhancing nutrition, food and agriculture sustainability and safety; boosting food availability and shelf life; and reducing waste.
Engaging and Educating Youth: Facilitating 2 million engagements of young people around the world in educational opportunities.
Improving Rural Communities: Improving the livelihoods of at least 3 million farmers and their rural communities through targeted collaboration and investments that strengthen agricultural systems and make food more available, nutritious and culturally appropriate. This is in addition to the work already being done to enhance the lives of hundreds of millions of farmers through DuPont's normal business practices.

Making a Measurable Difference

The DuPont food security goals were developed following a report issued last year by the DuPont Advisory Committee on Agriculture Innovation and Productivity for the 21st Century, chaired by former U.S. Senator Thomas A. Daschle of South Dakota.

"I'm pleased that DuPont is marshalling its resources to address key issues from the committee's findings. We need to follow the lead of organizations like DuPont, who commit to doing something about global food security, because they know hunger is at the heart of all other global issues," said Daschle.

DuPont – one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals more than 20 years ago – has broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal footprint reduction to include market-driven targets for both revenue and research and development investment. The goals are tied directly to business growth, specifically to the development of safer and environmentally improved new products for key global markets.

DuPont (NYSE: DD - News) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit www.dupont.com.

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