About Crop Protection

One-sixth of the world population, or over 900 million people, suffers from malnutrition. Agricultural output has to double in the next 20-30 years in order to feed the world’s population. By 2030, the United Nations predicts there are likely to be 1.7 billion more mouths to feed. Farmers must have access to crop protection solutions to grow more food per acre.

Crop protection products keep the price of food in America less expensive. Without the use of pesticides, the price of food would go up as a direct result of crop loss due to weeds, insects, rodents, and diseases. Before insecticides were used, 50% of the artichoke crop was lost to worms, and the FDA seized cans of blueberries infested with maggots. The Irish potato famine was caused by a fungus that still exists today. Before an insecticide was introduced to control it, the Colorado potato beetle eliminated 12 billion pounds of potatoes or one-third of the crop, resulting in price spikes. Each of these pests still exists today, and the losses would continue if we did not have chemical crop protection products to control them.

Crop protection is one of the most research-intensive industries in existence, with companies investing about 12% of their turnover in research and development (R&D). The top 10 plant science companies invest an estimated $3.75 billion in R&D per year to discover, conduct tests to ensure safety and develop new products.