A comprehensive strategy designed to scrutinize every link in the agricultural value chain, driving meaningful reductions in energy use and CO2 emissions.
Explore the FrameworkIn the face of a rapidly changing climate and a growing global population, the agricultural sector finds itself at a crossroads. It must simultaneously increase food production and reduce its environmental footprint—a daunting challenge that cannot be solved with 20th-century tools alone.
Agriculture accounts for approximately a third of global greenhouse-gas emissions, making it both a contributor to and a victim of climate change 3 .
The "Bayer Climate Check" represents a comprehensive strategy designed to scrutinize every link in the agricultural value chain.
Recognizing this dual role, global companies like Bayer are deploying systematic procedures to fundamentally transform farming practices. This isn't just corporate policy; it's an essential blueprint for building a resilient and sustainable food system for generations to come.
The Bayer Climate Check is not a single tool but an integrated framework. It connects ambitious, science-based targets with practical on-the-ground solutions, creating a feedback loop of continuous improvement and verification.
Bayer's entire climate strategy is built upon targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), ensuring its emissions reduction pathway aligns with keeping global warming well below 2° Celsius 3 .
Tackling indirect emissions from thousands of suppliers is one of the most complex challenges in corporate sustainability. Bayer's response is the "Scope 3 Accelerator Program," a systematic procedure designed to engage suppliers on renewable energy adoption and operational efficiency 3 .
The ultimate test of the Climate Check is its impact at the farm level. Here, the procedure involves scaling a suite of advanced solutions including digital farming platforms and regenerative agriculture practices.
| Pillar | Primary Focus | Key Initiative | Desired Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Science-Based Targets | Internal & Value-Chain Emissions | SBTi-Validated Goals | Legitimate, measurable climate action aligned with global standards. |
| Scope 3 Accelerator | Supply Chain Engagement | Supplier Collaboration on Efficiency & Renewables | Reduction of the largest portion of the corporate carbon footprint. |
| Digital & Regenerative Tools | On-Farm Impact | FieldView Platform & Soil Health Practices | Enabled farmers to reduce their per-bushel carbon footprint. |
To understand how the Climate Check works in practice, we can look at the deployment and use of the FieldView digital platform as a living, large-scale experiment.
The farmer uses the FieldView platform to collect and consolidate vast amounts of data throughout the growing season. This includes seed variety placement, input application rates, and satellite or drone imagery .
The platform's algorithms analyze this data, generating interactive maps that reveal field health variability, yield potential, and areas of stress 1 . This helps farmers "see what worked, what didn't" with unprecedented clarity 1 .
Armed with these insights, the farmer can make highly targeted decisions. The platform helps plan for the next season by identifying which products and practices worked best in specific zones of the field, allowing for precise application of inputs .
The farmer implements the optimized plan and continues to collect harvest data, creating a closed-loop system where outcomes are measured, and the model is refined for the following year 1 .
The core result of this digital experiment is prescriptive agriculture. By understanding the complex interactions between the environment, seed genetics, and management practices, farmers can transition from uniform field management to hyper-localized actions . This means applying the right products, at the right times, and in the right places .
The scientific importance is profound: this precision directly leads to less fuel consumption, lower fertilizer use, and preserved soil carbon—all of which contribute to a smaller greenhouse-gas footprint per bushel of food produced.
| Practice Enabled by Digital Tools | Mechanism for CO2e Reduction | Impact on Farm Sustainability |
|---|---|---|
| Variable-Rate Seeding | Optimizes plant population to soil potential, reducing seed waste. | Increased productivity per unit of input. |
| Variable-Rate Fertilizer | Applies nitrogen only where needed, minimizing excess and runoff. | Lower N2O emissions (a potent GHG) and improved water quality. |
| Precision Pest Control | Targets herbicide and pesticide applications only to infested areas. | Reduced chemical use and preserved beneficial insect habitats. |
| Harvest Data Analysis | Identifies consistent low-yield zones for potential conversion to conservation areas. | Carbon sequestration in restored soils and native plants. |
Bringing the Bayer Climate Check to life requires a sophisticated toolkit that blends biology, data science, and chemistry.
| Tool / Solution | Category | Primary Function in the Climate Check Procedure |
|---|---|---|
| FieldView Platform | Digital Tool | The central nervous system for data collection, analysis, and prescriptive decision-making on the farm 1 . |
| Climate-Resilient Seeds | Seed Genetics | Engineered to thrive under stress (drought, heat), ensuring stable yields in a changing climate and safeguarding food security 2 . |
| Soil Carbon Modeling | Data & Analytics | Software that models and measures soil carbon sequestration, verifying the impact of regenerative practices. |
| Scope 3 Emissions Tracker | Corporate Tool | A systematic procedure for measuring and managing indirect emissions across the entire value chain 3 . |
| Precision Application Equipment | Hardware | Modern sprayers and planters that integrate with digital maps to execute variable-rate applications, minimizing waste. |
The journey toward a sustainable agricultural system is complex and fraught with challenges, from the difficulty of changing supplier behavior to navigating political headwinds 3 . The Bayer Climate Check, as a systematic procedure, offers a robust framework for confronting these challenges head-on.
It demonstrates that sustainability is no longer a peripheral "add-on" but is fundamentally integrated into the core business strategy 3 . As former German vice-chancellor and Sustainability Council member Philipp Roesler stated, "It's the coffee, not the chocolate topping. Every company should integrate sustainability into its core business" 3 .
The success of this procedure hinges on genuine collaboration and continuous pressure-testing. The company's revamped Sustainability Council, with its external experts, exists to provide "tremendous value... but also to continuously challenge us," ensuring the company's ambitions are both bold and achievable 3 .
While the 2030 deadline is fast approaching and the targets are daunting, this systematic, science-backed procedure for energy and CO2 reduction represents one of the most comprehensive attempts to align the future of farming with the limits of our planet. The ultimate goal is clear: to harness the power of innovation and systematic thinking to feed a growing world while nurturing the environment that sustains us all.
Building a resilient food system for future generations
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