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Majority of consumers and growers are confident agriculture can increase productivity while practicing stewardship
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, November 7, 2012 -- A majority of consumers and growers agree that modern agriculture can achieve two critical goals simultaneously: Feed the world’s growing population while demonstrating responsible stewardship.
More than 80 percent of the growers and nearly 70 percent of the consumers who participated in a recent BASF survey were confident that growers will be able to strike a balance between producing enough food for the planet and preserving it for future generations. “Technology and knowledge advancements” were cited by both groups as the primary reasons for their confidence.
“Technology is and will continue to be the number one driver behind our ability to meet the demands of a growing population in a way that stewards resources,” said Paul Rea, Vice President, U.S. Crop Operations, BASF. “We know there is no room for failure—we have to make it happen. This is what drives our commitment to invest $2 million a day in research and development on innovations that will help growers preserve the land and maximize yields.”
According the growers surveyed, these vital capabilities are growing. When asked if stewardship efforts in agriculture have improved over the last few years, 85 percent of the growers surveyed agreed. That’s nearly a 10-percent increase in positive responses from a BASF survey conducted two years ago.
The survey indicated that for farmers, stewardship is an intrinsic belief that is a constant among growers. Every one of the 350 growers surveyed agreed that their peers care about the environment.
“The land is my livelihood,” said one grower who participated. “If I ruin it, I am out of business.”
Consumers believe that high quality crops and more output should be a farmer’s top priority. “We’re proud of the role BASF has played in helping growers get the most out of every acre,” said Rea. “Our leadership in Advanced Weed Control helps growers fight yield-robbing weeds. And, through our commitment to Plant Health, we’re helping growers control diseases while increasing growth efficiency and stress tolerance. All of these things work together to maximize yield potential and quality, in ways that will continue moving forward to meet the challenges of feeding a growing population.”
The survey regarding the confidence in agriculture was conducted among 400 consumers and 360 growers in 2012.
For more information on BASF Crop Protection products, visit http://agproducts.basf.us, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
For full survey results, please contact BASF_Crop_News@Padillaspeer.com.
About the Crop Protection division
With sales of € 4.1 billion in 2011, BASF’s Crop Protection division is a leader in crop protection and a strong partner to the farming industry providing well-established and innovative fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Farmers use these products and services to improve crop yields and crop quality. Other uses include public health, structural/urban pest control, turf and ornamental plants, vegetation management, and forestry. BASF aims to turn knowledge rapidly into market success. The vision of BASF’s Crop Protection division is to be the world’s leading innovator, optimizing agricultural production, improving nutrition, and thus enhancing the quality of life for a growing world population. Further information can be found on the web at www.agro.basf.com or follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/basfagro.
BASF – The Chemical Company
BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $20 billion in 2011. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about €73.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.
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