Agricultural Development

Partnering with Purpose

Pioneer is committed to helping meet the needed growth in agricultural productivity through commitment to a long-term, collaborative approach. We recognize that global food challenges will not be solved by any one company, government, university, or research institution. Individually, no one has the resources, global access or talent needed to address the uncertainties of issues like the impact of climate change on crops or improving agricultural productivity during times of financial or political unrest. Pioneer's Sustainable Agriculture and Development program creates novel partnerships and innovative business approaches in underserved markets to provide a foundation for community growth, driving market development and sustainable business.

We are working to develop sustainable solutions for farmers that drive yield through more efficient and sustainable use of water, nutrients, and soil, and through herbicide tolerance and resistance to pests and diseases. Pioneer recognizes, however, that developing an improved product is only part of the equation. High-quality seeds must be readily accessible and reliable before farmers can benefit from the enhanced technology and increased productivity.

A few of our partnerships include:

African Bio-Fortified Sorghum (ABS) Consortium

With a consortium of partners, of which African institutions are the majority, the project is developing improved varieties of sorghum. Sorghum is an indigenous African staple crop consumed by over 300 million people. The ABS project will produce an enhanced grain enriched with essential nutrients, such as lysine, vitamin E, pro-vitamin A, and improved bioavailability of iron and zinc. In addition, the project will deliver seed with improved yield and agronomic characteristics.

Improved Maize for African Soils (IMAS) Partnership

Fertilizer in Africa is not readily available, especially to small farmers, and when it is available, it is expensive. This public-private consortium was formed to use the tools of modern breeding, molecular markers, and biotechnology to develop and deploy maize hybrids with improved nitrogen-use efficiency. This is critical for small-holder farmers who must plant on degraded soils with limited access to fertilizer inputs.

West African Seed Alliance (WASA)

Through a public-private partnership, Pioneer co-founded WASA to create and support a competitive and sustainable seed industry in West Africa.

UDAY (Emerging Growth) Agri-Business Resource Centers

Through collaboration, six community-based satellite agribusiness resource centers and 200 best practices and farmer demonstration sites are being developed to provide a reliable supply of appropriate farm inputs, improved market linkages, and value-added services to more than 10,000 maize and rice farmers in India.