E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. and its Johnston-based seed company, Pioneer Hi-Bred Hi-Bred International Inc., are committed to working with China as a key partner to address global food security, the company’s top representative to China said.

With nearly 1.4 billion people and a population base that is migrating to large cities, working to sustainably increase the country’s agricultural productivity is imperative, said William Niebur, a DuPont vice president of E.I. and general manager of Pioneer China.

“The challenge of global food security should be the top priority of all nations, companies and individuals,” he told attendees at the 5th International Biotechnology and Agriculture Summit in Beijing. “It will take everyone – working collaboratively – to ensure every person has enough nutritious and safe food to eat.”

Pioneer’s practice for sustainably increasing agricultural productivity requires a comprehensive approach to plant breeding that includes breeding specifically for local environments, developing plants with more resistance to diseases and insects, improving nutrient use and nutritional content and making plants better able to withstand environmental stresses such as drought.

Pioneer’s presence in China is deeply engrained in the local seed industry through two corn seed business joint ventures, a research joint venture through Beijing (Peking) University, and numerous research collaborations with the China Ministry of Agriculture and Chinese Academies of Science and Technologies.

Niebur stressed that DuPont will work with China for the long term. “Our plans, integrated business model and professional competencies align well with the view for the seed industry of the State Council of China and the No. 1 document. Pioneer will continue to contribute collaboratively to the productivity and security of China’s food supply – now and in the years to come.”