DuPont Convenes Leaders at Expo Milan 2015 to Discuss Innovation for Global Food Security

UAE—May 20, 2015 - DuPont recently joined public and private sector leaders at Expo Milan 2015 to share examples of rural and urban innovations that address the global food security challenge. During the event, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) unveiled the results of the DuPont-sponsored 2015 Global Food Security Index, which showed continued improvement in global food security - but also challenges in Central and Eastern Europe due to political unrest and rapid urbanization.

DuPont Executive Vice President James C. Borel headlined the forum, which kicked off the company’s engagement at the USA Pavilion. Borel challenged those engaged in the discussion to extend the conversation beyond Expo Milan and leverage the findings of the Global Food Security Index to develop new, targeted solutions to global hunger.

“As the global population increases, becomes more urbanized and the middle class expands, we must properly focus resources to strengthen food systems and their resiliency,” said Borel. “We have to look at the underlying issues - the key drivers that influence a person’s ability to eat. This is the power of the Global Food Security Index.” 

Borel went on to highlight four key areas that warrant proper resource investment: innovation for farmer productivity, enhancing nutrition of food, creation of fair and open trade policies and reduction of food waste.

Finding New Solutions to Global Food Security Challenges
The event also featured a diverse selection of leaders from the U.S. Department of State, Ford Motor Company and global not-for-profits who shared their insights on how the world population’s food demands are changing and how their organizations are evolving meet those new demands.

For example, Rikin Gandhi of Digital Green presented on how his team is utilizing mobile technologies to teach rural famers in India improved management techniques. CARE International Secretary General and CEO Wolfgang Jamann shared how the organization has worked with smallholder farmers in Haiti to improve soil nutrition and how it has made their food system more resilient in times of crisis.

The EIU also unveiled a white paper at the forum on “The Role of Innovation in Meeting Food Security Challenges” that identifies and defines the challenges, key players and technology solutions related to global food security. The paper focused on three key opportunity areas to increase the accessibility of quality food globally - the utilization of biotechnology, support for smallholder farmers, and rise of urban agriculture.