Corteva NYSE: CTVA held its 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders virtually, with Chair Gregory Page opening the session and recognizing the company’s directors and leadership team. Page thanked directors Lamberto Andreotti and Michael Johanns, who he said will retire at the conclusion of the meeting, and noted that Tracey Stover of PricewaterhouseCoopers attended as the company’s independent registered public accounting firm.
Meeting formalities and voting process
Chief Legal and Public Affairs Officer and Corporate Secretary Jen Johnson outlined the meeting’s rules of conduct, including how stockholders could submit questions and the company’s policy of not addressing personal grievances, repetitive questions, or matters outside the meeting agenda. Johnson said Broadridge Financial Solutions was appointed inspector of election and confirmed that a quorum was present, allowing the meeting to proceed.
CEO highlights 2025 performance and industry backdrop
In prepared remarks, CEO Chuck Magro emphasized the role of agriculture in what he described as “national security,” pointing to severe weather risks, flooding, droughts, pests, and crop-loss concerns. He also noted that Corteva recently celebrated the “100th Anniversary of Pioneer,” describing the brand’s historical role in introducing hybrid corn.
Magro said 2025 was “by any measure, a strong year,” and provided several financial and operating metrics:
- Net sales increased 3%.
- Operating EBITDA rose 14%.
- Margin expanded by more than 200 basis points, surpassing 22% for the first time since becoming a public company.
- Full-year free cash flow was “nearly $3 billion.”
He attributed results to farmer demand for “next-gen technology,” employee execution, and productivity efforts across both Seed and Crop Protection. Magro also said the company returned about $1.5 billion to shareholders in 2025 through dividends and share repurchases, and that over the past five years it returned $7 billion to shareholders, increased the dividend each year, and generated total shareholder return of more than 170%.
On innovation, Magro said Corteva invested nearly $1.5 billion in R&D last year, launched more than 400 new products, and advanced multiple technologies including gene editing, hybrid wheat, and biological crop protection solutions. He added that the board and management team expect “another solid year in 2026.”
Separation timeline and leadership announcements
Magro said the company remains on track for a separation “sometime in the fourth quarter.” He referenced a leadership announcement made “back on April 14th,” including a new CEO for the company that will become Corteva and house the crop protection business.
According to Magro, Luke Kissam will become CEO of the “new Corteva” and is set to join on June 1. Magro said he will lead the SpinCo company effective at separation. He also said the two executive leadership teams for the new companies have been announced and described them as a mix of existing and new members aligned to the company’s “purpose, culture, and values.”
Magro said the next steps include naming the SpinCo company and communicating the headquarters locations for each company, with announcements expected “very soon.” He also said Corteva expects to hold an Investor Day in mid-September.
Q&A addresses geopolitics and hazardous pesticides
During the question-and-answer session, Magro was asked about the potential impact of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. He said the “ultimate impact will be determined by how long the conflict exists,” citing oil prices among other factors, and deferred further comments to the company’s earnings call scheduled for May 6 at 9:00 a.m., which he encouraged shareholders to follow via the investor relations website.
In response to a question submitted by Kevin Chuah on behalf of ShareAction regarding transparency and transition planning around “Highly Hazardous Pesticides,” Magro said there is not “a globally consistent definition” of the term. He stated that Corteva discloses all required regulatory information for its products and described crop protection as “one of the most highly regulated industries in the world.” Magro said developing a new crop protection product can require about $300 million of investment and roughly 12 years, with much of that time driven by regulatory processes.
Magro also said Corteva has been making “sizable investments” in nature-based or biological solutions alongside traditional chemical products, stating that biological products are generally expected to be less hazardous and to play a growing role in managing weeds, pests, and disease. He added that chemical solutions remain “absolutely critical” and “highly regulated.”
Stockholders approve directors and other proposals
Johnson reviewed the meeting’s formal proposals, including election of 12 director nominees, an advisory vote on executive compensation, an advisory vote on the frequency of say-on-pay votes, and ratification of PricewaterhouseCoopers as independent auditor for 2026. She later reported that:
- All director nominees listed in the proxy statement were elected.
- The advisory vote on executive compensation was approved.
- Stockholders approved a one-year frequency for the say-on-pay advisory vote.
- PricewaterhouseCoopers was ratified as the independent registered public accounting firm for 2026.
With voting results announced and agenda items complete, Johnson adjourned the meeting.
About Corteva NYSE: CTVA
Corteva, Inc NYSE: CTVA is an independent global agriculture company that was established as a publicly traded firm in mid‑2019 following the separation of the agriculture businesses from DowDuPont. The company focuses on delivering technologies and products that help farmers increase productivity and manage crop health. Corteva's operations combine seed genetics, crop protection chemistries, digital tools and biological solutions to address the full cycle of crop production.
Core business activities include research and development of seed genetics and trait technologies, formulation and sale of crop protection products (such as herbicides, insecticides and fungicides), and the development of seed treatments and biologicals.
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