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News Release

DuPont Convenes Leaders at Expo Milan 2015 to Discuss Innovation for Global Food Security

MILAN, May 19, 2015 – DuPont joined public and private sector leaders today at Expo Milan 2015 to share examples of rural and urban innovations that address the global food security challenge. During the event, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) unveiled the results of the DuPont-sponsored 2015 Global Food Security Index, which showed continued improvement in global food security – but also challenges in Central and Eastern Europe due to political unrest and rapid urbanization.

DuPont Executive Vice President James C. Borel headlined the forum, which kicked off the company’s engagement at the USA Pavilion. Borel challenged those engaged in the discussion to extend the conversation beyond Expo Milan and leverage the findings of the Global Food Security Index to develop new, targeted solutions to global hunger.

“As the global population increases, becomes more urbanized and the middle class expands, we must properly focus resources to strengthen food systems and their resiliency,” said Borel. “We have to look at the underlying issues – the key drivers that influence a person’s ability to eat. This is the power of the Global Food Security Index.”

Borel went on to highlight four key areas that warrant proper resource investment: innovation for farmer productivity, enhancing nutrition of food, creation of fair and open trade policies and reduction of food waste.

Finding New Solutions to Global Food Security Challenges

The event also featured a diverse selection of leaders from the U.S. Department of State, Ford Motor Company and global not-for-profits who shared their insights on how the world population’s food demands are changing and how their organizations are evolving to meet those new demands.

For example, Rikin Gandhi of Digital Green presented on how his team is utilizing mobile technologies to teach rural farmers in India improved management techniques. CARE International Secretary General and CEO Wolfgang Jamann shared how the organization has worked with smallholder farmers in Haiti to improve soil nutrition and how it has made their food system more resilient in times of crisis.

The EIU also unveiled a white paper at the forum on “The Role of Innovation in Meeting Food Security Challenges” that identifies and defines the challenges, key players and technology solutions related to global food security. The paper focused on three key opportunity areas to increase the accessibility of quality food globally – the utilization of biotechnology, support for smallholder farmers, and rise of urban agriculture.

EIU 2015 Global Food Security Index Reveals Overall Improvement, Challenges in Europe

The EIU presented the new findings from the 2015 Global Food Security Index to inform the discussion around food and agriculture solutions. The 2015 Index measures 109 countries against 28 food security indicators that monitor the ongoing impact of agriculture investments, collaborations and policies around the world.

While the Index revealed that globally food security increased – with two-thirds of the countries registering year-over-year improvements – the EIU reported that Eastern Europe was the only region to experience food security deterioration in 2014. Political instability in parts of Eastern and Central Europe – and a lower urban absorption capacity across the region – how much a country’s GDP growth rate outpaces its urbanization rate – led to lower scores in 85 percent of European nations included in the Index.

“This year’s findings underscore the importance of continued investment in agriculture research and infrastructure in Europe to ensure all of the region’s people have access to safe and affordable food,” said Borel. “Europe has been a leader in food security and we must ensure that portions of the region are not left behind due to a lack of investment and support for farmers and new agricultural technologies.”

DuPont has invested significantly in Eastern Europe – particularly Ukraine and Russia – which has highly productive arable land that has been underutilized for decades. Through its seed business, DuPont Pioneer, the company has recently invested more than $50 million in Ukraine to build research and production facilities, and expects to engage with more than 9,500 Ukrainian farmers this year through customer field days and training.

For more information on the interactive Global Food Security Index, including definitions of the 28 global indicators, impact of changing food prices, multi-country comparisons and more, visit: http://foodsecurityindex.eiu.com/.

DuPont is committed to driving food security efforts locally, sustainably and collaboratively; visit foodsecurity.dupont.com or follow the conversation on Twitter at #foodsecurity to learn more.

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802.  The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment.  For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit http://www.dupont.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:  This news release contains forward-looking statements which may be identified by their use of words like "plans," "expects," "will," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "anticipates" or other words of similar meaning.  All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the company's growth strategy, product development, regulatory approval, market position, anticipated benefits of acquisitions, outcome of contingencies, such as litigation and environmental matters, expenditures and financial results, are forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on certain assumptions and expectations of future events which may not be realized.  Forward-looking statements also involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control.  Some of the important factors that could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those projected in any such forward-looking statements are: fluctuations in energy and raw material prices; failure to develop and market new products and optimally manage product life cycles; ability to respond to market acceptance, rules, regulations and policies affecting products based on biotechnology; significant litigation and environmental matters; failure to appropriately manage process safety and product stewardship issues; changes in laws and regulations or political conditions; global economic and capital markets conditions, such as inflation, interest and currency exchange rates; business or supply disruptions; security threats, such as acts of sabotage, terrorism or war, weather events and natural disasters; ability to protect and enforce the company's intellectual property rights; successful integration of acquired businesses and separation of underperforming or non-strategic assets or businesses and successful completion of the proposed spinoff of the Performance Chemicals segment including ability to fully realize the expected benefits of the proposed spinoff.  The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements as a result of future developments or new information.

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