Editor’s note: This is the first article of a five-part series. Upcoming business editions will include responses from Kaua‘i’s other three seed companies: Syngenta, Dow and BASF. Part five will be an overview of the local industry with Hawai‘i Crop Improvement Association.
WAIMEA — In an attempt to better understand how seed farmers exist in our community, The Garden Island asked local companies’ representatives a series of basic questions.
The following information has been provided by Cindy Goldstein, business and community outreach manager for Pioneer Hi-Bred International:
Q: What does your company do?
A: Pioneer carries out innovative research and development on Kaua‘i with corn, soybean and sunflower. Combining both traditional plant breeding and new technologies, our local team is able to identify and develop product lines with characteristics needed to produce food and feed in climates all over the world.
Q: How long has your company has been on island, and why did your company chose Kaua‘i for its operations?
A: Pioneer has been pleased to be part of Kauai’s rich agricultural heritage since 1968. Because of the long growing season and skilled workforce, the island continues to be an ideal location to produce corn and soybean seed in order to deliver high quality products to our farmer customers more quickly. Our team has grown to include 250 employees on the island, many of whom grew up on Kaua‘i.
Q: How many acres does Pioneer farm on Kaua‘i?
A: We have approximately 4,500 acres. Not all acres are in production at any given time and some acres are planted with cover crops and ground cover for soil conservation.
Q: What parts of the island do your fields occupy?
A: We have two locations on Kaua‘i — one in Waimea and one in Kekaha. We have fields located in Waimea, Kekaha, other West Kaua‘i areas and in the Lihu‘e area.
Q: Whose land do you occupy?
A: Pioneer leases land from the State of Hawai‘i and also from private landowners on Kaua‘i.
Q: How many employees do you have and how are they comprised?
A: Pioneer has approximately 250 employees working for us on Kaua‘i, including full-time and seasonal workers. Pioneer operations continue to grow and in fact, we have job opportunities for people with a wide range of skills and at all levels of education, from a high school degree to a PhD.
Pioneer offers competitive salaries and good benefits. Pioneer supports our employees’ desire for continued education through an education advancement benefit, which reimburses tuition for employees working towards a degree.
Q: What are the top three contributions your company has made to this island?
A: In our more than 43 years on the island, Pioneer and our employees have continued to be a community partner. We’ve invested time and resources in local programs focused on career opportunities on Kaua‘i and education.
One example of our dedication is our long-time support of the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board’s Aloha Ike program, which provides grants to Kaua‘i teachers. This program helps ensure Kaua‘i students have additional opportunities to learn and encourages students to pursue careers of their choosing on Kaua‘i.
Pioneer and other seed companies support the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank through food donations and monetary contributions. We encourage other individuals, companies and organizations to hold food drives and fundraisers to benefit the Kaua‘i Food Bank.
Pioneer encourages all employees to be part of the community. We strongly encourage volunteerism and have supported causes important to our employees over the years, including support of the Kaua‘i science fair program, Agriculture and Environmental Awareness Day, school career fairs, school science and math nights, and Relay for Life.
Q: What contribution(s) has your company made to the agricultural industry?
A: Pioneer Hi-Bred is the world’s leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing high-quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries. Since our beginning, Pioneer has been unique in the industry because of our relationships with our farmer customers and our understanding of the impact agriculture has on the global community.
Pioneer provides agronomic support and services to help farmer productivity and profitability and strives to develop sustainable agricultural systems for people everywhere. What makes us unique is evident in our dedicated employees, our investment in innovation, and our collaboration with the communities we serve.
Q: Who are your three biggest customers?
A: Pioneer sells seed to farmers in more than 90 countries.
Q: What are some of your company’s new products in development?
A: New products soon to be introduced include Optimum AquaMax hybrids for use in water-limited environments, and the industry’s first in-the-bag refuge system for corn rootworm, Optimum AcreMax 1, and Optimum AcreMax RW.
Q: Some residents say one of the issues they have with seed companies is the broad chemical spraying of herbicides and pesticides. What is your response to this?
A: Environmental stewardship is a Pioneer core value. To maintain a safe environment, we train employees on proper safety measures to protect themselves, co-workers and the land.
The pesticides we use are registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Hawai‘i, only after their extensive research on the safety of the product. In addition, U.S. EPA establishes specific conditions and uses of the products, to ensure environmental and human health safety.
Q: What do you say to those who are anti GMO?
A: World population is expected to exceed 9 billion people by 2050, and agricultural production will need to nearly double to meet the demand at that time. We must explore all the avenues available to us to improve productivity, including biotechnology.
Biotechnology can reduce crop losses from weeds, insects and disease; help increase farmers’ productivity; positively impact the environment through fewer pesticides and more efficient use of nutrients and resources; and increase the nutritional and health components of food.
No crops have been more studied, better characterized or subject to greater regulatory review. Scientific evidence demonstrates that biotech products are safe for food and feed use.
Q: Does your company do public tours and if so, how should a person go about setting that up? And who at your company can someone contact if they have an issue or complaint?
A: Pioneer has many school groups visit for educational tours. It is a treat for us when students visit that are part of our employee ohana.
Community organizations and senior citizen groups set up visits to learn more about what we do. Pioneer also hosts open house events for the community to come out and find out more about who we are and what we do.
To contact Pioneer: Waimea Research Center 338-8300 and Kekaha Supply Management 337-1413.
Visit www.pioneer.com for more information.
• Vanessa Van Voorhis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or by e-mailing vvanvoorhis@ kauaipubco.com.
