Dow Implements Sustainable Agriculture in Brazil as Part of Carbon Mitigation Program for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
July 14 2015 - 10:00AM
Business Wire
Working with farmers from Mato Grosso, Dow will
introduce precision agriculture technology and proprietary
low-carbon solutions for seeds and crop protection to generate
greenhouse gas reductions
The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), the “Official Chemistry
Company” of the Olympic Games and Official Carbon Partner of the
Rio 2016 Organizing Committee today announced that Dow AgroSciences
Brazil is working with Brazilian farmers from the state of Mato
Grosso to implement more sustainable agricultural practices that
will generate climate benefits for the mitigation of Rio 2016’s
direct carbon footprint.
The Sustainable Agriculture project is a key element of Dow’s
innovative “Sustainable Future” program being implemented across
Brazil and Latin America, which utilizes energy-efficient
technologies and low-carbon solutions to minimize greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions. Through the Sustainable Agriculture project, Dow,
in collaboration with Farmers Edge, a world leader in precision
agronomy, and Irriger, a Brazilian group specialized in irrigation
management, will provide variable rate technology and expertise to
farmers in Mato Grosso, one of Brazil’s main ‘breadbaskets’.
The project is designed to minimize environmental impact and
optimize productivity in corn and soybean crops through higher
yields, better varieties and more targeted pest control management.
Implementation of the precision and variable rate technologies
along with seeds and crop protection solutions from Dow is expected
to result in lower rates of synthetic fertilizer application,
leading to a reduction in emissions of nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide
is a greenhouse gas (GHG) and is produced as fertilizer decomposes.
The reduced GHG emissions from this project will be applied towards
Dow’s commitment to mitigate 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide
equivalents (CO2eq) for the Rio 2016 Games.
“The objective is to help farmers produce more with less, and
increase yield through advanced and more sustainable agricultural
practices – all while contributing to one of Rio 2016’s most
important sustainability goals,” said Welles Pascoal, president of
Dow AgroSciences Brazil. “This project is fully aligned with Dow
AgroSciences’ mission to put science at work to address the needs
of an ever-growing world through innovative technologies for crop
protection, seeds and biotechnology.”
Farmers participating in the project have access to services and
technologies such as satellite imagery, precision harvest and
profit maps, intensive soil sampling and laboratory analysis,
weather monitoring, and detailed review of cropping plans and goals
with variable rate technology experts. Seeds and crop protection
solutions from Dow are also available to help optimize production
and increase yields.
The climate benefits of the Sustainable Agriculture project will
be realized over the next five years - far beyond the Olympic
Games, creating a lasting legacy for farmers participating in the
program. As reducing environmental impact continues to be an area
of focus for agriculture in Brazil and globally, the Sustainable
Agriculture announcement coincides with Dow AgroSciences Brazil’s
support and participation in the World Congress on Integrated
Crop-Livestock-Forest Systems (WCCLF), taking place in Brasilia,
Brazil from July 12-17, 2015. During the conference, Dow
AgroSciences Brazil will present case studies and contribute to
discussions on this important topic.
Work with farmers started during preparation for the 2015
Brazilian soybean season, and will continue through the end of the
2016 corn harvest. Carbon emissions reductions will be tracked
based on productivity increase and reductions in the use of
fertilizers and fuel. The climate benefits generated by the
Brazilian farms participating in the project will be measured,
reviewed and verified by the third party Environmental Resource
Management (ERM).
“Agriculture plays a key role in the Brazilian economy and is
also one of the largest sources of GHG emissions, therefore the
opportunities to implement more sustainable practices are
countless,” commented Tânia Braga, head of Sustainability &
Legacy for the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, who spoke at the
WCCFF about the Committee’s sustainability plans and goals. “The
carbon mitigation program implemented by Dow and its partners is
one of the key sustainability legacies of the Rio 2016 Olympic
Games. The way we are collectively working to influence the entire
value chain will bring great benefits for Brazil long after the
Games are over.”
Following the successful execution of a similar “Sustainable
Future” program in Sochi for the 2014 Olympic Games, Dow was
selected as the Official Carbon Partner of Rio 2016 in September
2014. Dow designed a tailor-made program to address the technology
needs for Brazil focused on farming, industrial processes and civil
infrastructure to generate climate benefits for the mitigation of
the direct carbon footprint of the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee.
In addition to Dow’s commitment to mitigate 500,000 tons of CO2eq
from the organizing and hosting of the Games, Dow and Rio 2016 will
also work to generate an additional 1.5 million tons of CO2eq in
climate benefits by 2026, to address other Games-related
emissions.
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to
passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The
Company is driving innovations that extract value from the
intersection of chemical, physical and biological sciences to help
address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the
need for clean water, clean energy generation and conservation, and
increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's integrated,
market-driven, industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical,
advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a
broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers
in approximately 180 countries and in high-growth sectors such
as packaging, electronics, water, coatings and agriculture. In
2014, Dow had annual sales of more than $58 billion and
employed approximately 53,000 people worldwide. The Company's
more than 6,000 product families are manufactured at 201 sites
in 35 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the
"Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information
about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150714006105/en/
For editorial information:The Dow Chemical
CompanyFernão Silveira,
+1-989-638-1006FSilveira@dow.comorDow AgroSciences
BrasilAna Carolina Lima dos Santos, +55 (11)
5188-9334Alima2@dow.com
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