Corteva Accelerates Sustainability Through Green Design

[ACSGCI]

By Nicholas Babij, Process Chemist, Corteva Agriscience

As a global leader in agricultural solutions, Corteva Agriscience is committed to developing technologies to help farmers sustainably increase the production of healthy food and minimize the environmental impact of the industry.

By Nicholas Babij, Process Chemist, Corteva Agriscience

As a global leader in agricultural solutions, Corteva Agriscience is committed to developing technologies to help farmers sustainably increase the production of healthy food and minimize the environmental impact of the industry. Credit: Org. Process Res. Dev. 2019, 23, 10, 2109–2121 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.oprd.9b00305To maximize the sustainability benefits of these technologies, Corteva scientists systematically apply the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry during the strategic design and development of new active ingredients, as illustrated in the design of the fungicide florylpicoxamid. The broad adoption and integration of green chemistry and engineering at Corteva help drive the design of sustainable active ingredients and the development of sustainable processes from discovery to manufacturing. This approach has resulted in national recognition for Corteva’s innovative products, including becoming a six-time winner of the U.S. EPA’s Green Chemistry Challenge Award.

To further accelerate sustainable innovation, Corteva joined the ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable (GCIPR) as an affiliate member in 2019, soon after the ACS GCIPR expanded its membership base to companies working outside of the pharmaceutical industry. The mission and strategic priorities of the ACS GCIPR are directly aligned with Corteva’s 2030 sustainability goals which include sustainable innovation, supporting biodiversity, and reducing the environmental footprint of operations. Membership with the ACS GCIPR has helped Corteva further incorporate metrics and tools that drive the development of sustainable solutions. For instance, Corteva has historically used the process mass intensity tool from the ACS GCIPR, but since joining the Roundtable, Corteva has integrated the Chem 21 Solvent Guide and iGAL tools into R&D work processes.

Moving forward, Corteva is actively participating in Roundtable focus teams to help influence the development of future tools and metrics. Corteva’s goal is to leverage its experience developing sustainable agricultural solutions and partner with the Roundtable to accelerate the design and development of sustainable active ingredients and processes throughout the chemical industry that have favorable sustainability profiles and attributes.

GCIPR members meeting at Corteva's facility in Indianapolis in March 2023.