Corteva is confident in the U.S.’ ability to be a leader in agricultural production despite the last year of volatility, as the ag input giant is on track to split its business in two later this year, Charles Margo, the company’s CEO, discussed during a wide-ranging conversation at the Bank of America 2026 Global Agriculture & Materials Conference.
U.S. soybean farmers faced a challenging year in 2025, as market access shrank, crop input costs rose, and Brazil shipped a record level of exports to China, which previously relied heavily on U.S. supplies. This resulted in the Trump administration stepping in to provide $12 billion in support through the Farmer Bridge Assistance, with enrollment set to end on April 17, 2026.
Despite soybean challenges, “U.S. agriculture is still one of the market leaders in the world,” Margo explained. China will continue to demand soybeans, but questions remain if Brazil can meet that demand by itself, Margo pointed out.
“My assumption for the foreseeable future is U.S. agriculture will continue to lead the world and be among the leaders. There will be 180 million acres planted of corn and soybeans. The mix will shift based on market opportunity and margins, but I don’t see less planted area in the United States. It is still one of the most productive producing countries in the world, and I expect that to continue. ... I wouldn’t count out the U.S. soybean producer whatsoever,” Margo elaborated.
However, the U.S. government can provide stability to the soybean sector by boosting domestic consumption — thus reducing reliance on export markets — and enacting a biofuel mandate, Margo explained.
“There’s really positive momentum going from a policy perspective, and I expect that [a biofuel mandate] will happen over time, and it won’t just be for soybeans, but it’ll be for other crops as well, like canola and mustard. And so, there’s going to be a really great opportunity ... here for U.S. farmers to have diversified revenue sources, be less reliant on external markets, [and] potentially get a premium uplift, and it’s a win-win for everyone,” Margo elaborated.
Corteva taps into Brazil opportunity
While confident in the U.S. ag sector, Corteva is seeking to gain a greater foothold in Brazil by releasing more products into the market. The ag input supplier is waiting for regulatory approval for its Haviza treatment for Asian soybean rust in Brazil, Margo explained.
Additionally, Corteva’s venture arm, Corteva Catalyst, has made several investments in several South American agtech start-ups, including Brazil-based Symbiomics and Argentinean Puna Bio, which operates in Brazil.
“Enlist E3 has been — by every definition — a massive success. The technology today is on 65% of soybean acres in the United States. And now we’re taking that same investment thesis, and we’re moving it to the world’s largest soybean market, which is Brazil, and we have a very small market share there,” Margo elaborated.
Whether in Brazil or the U.S., Corteva is continuing to build its market leadership in soybeans through product development, including a deal to leverage BASF’s protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) gene technology to develop new products, Margo said.
“It is not just the trait technology. The reason that Enlist is a winner in the United States is — yes — we have the trait technology, but we also have the best germplasm in the world, and we’ve been doing this for 100 years,” he elaborated.
Corteva on track for split in second half of 2026
Last October, Corteva announced plans to split its crop protection and seed business into New Corteva and SpinCo, respectively, as AgTechNavigator reported. Corteva expects to reveal the headquarters location and leadership team for New Corteva in the first half of 2026 and will follow it up with the capital structure and balance sheet, Margo said.
The decision to split Corteva into two was not made over concerns of the crop protection business, as “demand for crop protection is still growing,” Margo emphasised.
“We’ve got a $9 billion pipeline in this business right now, with half or a dozen actives and even more biological products that will come into the market in the next period of time. So, the setup for our business is really strong,” Margo said. “From an industry perspective, it will return to growth. ... That’s our expectation. That’s our call for 2026 — it will be driven by volume.”
