The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is pleased to announce that Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, has sponsored the 2018 Grand Challenges Summit: Addressing the North American and Pacific Rim Invasive Insect and Arthropod Species Challenge.

Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, is an agricultural company with a leading position in seed technologies, crop protection, and digital agriculture. The company has a strong belief in developing market-shaping technologies and partnerships and views this sponsorship as part of its drive toward developing food security on a global basis.

“We believe that collaboration within the entire food system is a critical component of success in ensuring a secure supply of healthy food,” says Melissa Willrich Siebert, Insect and Nematode Management Biology Leader for Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™. “Invasive species affect all aspects of human life on earth, whether through vector-borne diseases or their impacts on the food supply. This summit will prove to be an important event as the world’s entomological community convenes to discuss the challenges and agree on a game plan for moving forward. Our company is passionate about supporting missions such as this summit.”

The summit will take place November 9-10 in Vancouver, BC, immediately prior to the Joint Annual Meeting of ESA, the Entomological Society of Canada and the Entomological Society of British Columbia. A primary goal of the summit is to develop a strategic plan for addressing the threats posted by invasive arthropods. Three $10,000 sponsorships are available for the summit. Each sponsor will be entitled to benefits that include hosted space at the summit and the opportunity to address the summit delegates. Corteva Agriscience™, Agriculture Division of DowDuPont™, is the first organization to commit as a sponsor for the Invasive Insects Grand Challenges Summit.

Companies interested in sponsoring the summit should contact Chris Stelzig at cstelzig@entsoc.org.