Neal Gutterson, Vice President of Agricultural Biotechnology at DuPont Pioneer, discusses the role of advanced agricultural technologies in achieving global food security. He emphasizes the need for a diverse set of technologies and the importance of factors beyond yield, such as distribution systems and reduced waste. Gutterson highlights the value of deploying advanced agricultural technologies in developing countries and the impact of industry innovations on productivity.
Key Points:
- Accelerating Genetic Gain:
- Gutterson identifies the challenge of genetic gain in major crops like corn, soy, wheat, and rice.
- DuPont Pioneer focuses on hybrid breeding systems and CRISPR technology to enhance genetic gain efficiently.
- Investment Trends:
- Areas with fewer regulatory constraints and shorter time to market validation garner more interest from the investment community.
- Biologicals and internet-based decision support services, like DuPont Pioneer’s Encircasm, are gaining attention.
- Big Data in Agriculture:
- The integration of decision agriculture and big data tools is revolutionizing American agriculture.
- DuPont Pioneer’s Encircasm services exemplify the application of big data for improved productivity and environmental outcomes.
- Innovation in Ag-Biotech:
- While mainstream biotech product categories continue to innovate, a new wave of innovation focuses on technologies with shorter development cycles and fewer regulatory constraints.
- Challenges in Taking Solutions to Market:
- Regulatory oversight, often focusing on techniques rather than product risks, can delay product delivery.
- High costs and lengthy regulatory approval processes pose challenges for small companies in bringing biotech traits to market.
- The uncertain time and cost of regulatory approval processes in diverse geographies impact international trade.
Read the full interview here: