Environment

Water conservation and protection

Fresh water is one of the world’s most precious resources. Agriculture accounts for around 70% of all water use, so predicted water shortages in agriculture have been identified as likely to be the single most significant constraint on crop production over the next 50 years, if current trends continue. Improved agricultural water management must be given centre stage.

We contribute to water conservation and protection by:

• developing stress tolerant and drought resistant crops;
• providing solutions for healthy plants as these use water more efficiently;
• providing weed management tools to prevent competition with crops for water;
• protecting water through integrated R&D and product stewardship activities;
• promoting land management approaches which support improved water management;
• enhancing water-saving schemes at our manufacturing and other sites.

Conserving biodiversity

Protecting the diversity of life

Although it is clear that high quality and affordable food products are urgently required worldwide, a stable and healthy basis for production is equally necessary. Both the conservation of biodiversity and well-functioning agricultural ecosystems play a central role in this pursuit. They form the foundation for sustainable agriculture, which is one of the firmly established goals of Bayer CropScience.

With this in mind, the company has developed strategies to help protect the multiplicity and the diversity of living organisms.

For Bayer CropScience conserving biodiversity is a key component of sustainable agriculture in:

• research and development;
• technologies to increase productivity;
• solutions to enhance plant health;
• efforts to control invasive species; and
• measures to promote integrated crop management.

Understanding of the connections between ecosystems and crop protection technologies

Bayer CropScience is also committed to raising problem awareness. The objective is to convey a better understanding of the connections between ecosystems and crop protection technologies to stakeholders, partners and the public.

The company pledges its full support for the aims of the Convention on Biological Diversity. This treaty has three main goals:

• Conservation of biological diversity,
• Sustainable use of its components,
• Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources

It was adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.