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In 2020, Corteva announced the launch of Brevant™ seeds in the U.S. for sale exclusively through retail locations in the Midwest and Eastern Corn Belt starting with 2021 planting. As a global brand, Brevant™ seeds, which was originally launched in Latin America, Canada, and select European countries in 2018, provides farmers a greater choice with a high-performance retail solution. Brevant™ provides multiple seed offerings including corn, soybeans, sunflowers and canola.

In connection with the validation of breeding plans and large-scale product development timelines focused on rapidly ramping up differentiated technology solutions, during the fourth quarter of 2019, the company began accelerating the ramp up of the Enlist E3TM trait platform in the company’s soybean portfolio mix across all brands, including Pioneer® brands, over the subsequent five years. During the ramp-up period, the company is expected to significantly reduce the volume of products with the Roundup Ready 2 Yield® and Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® herbicide tolerance traits beginning in 2021, with expected minimal use of the Roundup Ready 2 Yield® and Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® traits thereafter for the remaining term of the non-exclusive license with the Monsanto Company. Refer to Prepaid Royalties within the Critical Accounting Estimates section on page 71 for additional information.

In 2019, Corteva received import authorization from China for the Conkesta™ soybean insect control trait. The trait approval had been in progress in China since 2014. The receipt of China import approval is a necessary step for commercialization of Conkesta E3™ in Latin America, which the company is expecting the latter part of 2021, pending additional regulatory approvals.

In 2019, the company launched Qrome® corn products in U.S. Pioneer® brands. Qrome® products offer growers high yield potential insect control options to help drive productivity for their operations by combining top-tier genetics and strong defensive traits. In 2020, Qrome® products were expanded to the U.S. multi-channel and Canada Pioneer® brands.

The company acquired exclusive rights to the Clearfield® canola production system in North America from BASF in 2019. The Clearfield® canola trait provides non-genetically modified tolerance to imidazolinone herbicides. Clearfield® canola in the Pioneer® and Nexera® brands were already highly established in the market and integrated into the company’s breeding, production and commercial processes.

In addition, the company creates digital tools that provide both farmers and internal sales resources with platforms to support agronomic and operational decision-making, particularly in the areas of product selection, targeted crop protection application, and financial analysis, designed to help maximize yield and profitability.

Distribution

The seed segment has a diverse worldwide network which markets and distributes the company’s brands to customers, primarily through the company’s multi-channel, multi-brand strategy, which includes four differentiated channels: Pioneer agency model, regional brands, retail brands, as well as third parties through licensing and distribution channels.

The Pioneer agency model is unique to Corteva and represents sales made directly to farmers via independent sales representatives. Through this agency model, the company interacts directly with farmers at multiple points in the growing season, from prior to planting all the way through harvest. These regular interactions enable the company to provide the advice and service farmers need while giving the company real-time insights into the customers’ future ordering decisions. The company’s regional brands connect to customers through regional brand employees and farmer-dealer networks. Retail brands provide a one-stop shop for seed and chemistry solutions and may include sales to distributors, agricultural cooperatives, and dealers. Finally, Corteva out-licenses traits and germplasm to third parties.

Key Raw Materials

The key raw materials for seed include corn and soybean seeds. To produce high-quality seeds, the company contracts with third party growers globally. Corteva focuses on production close to the customer to provide the seed product, which is suitable for that region and its weed, insect and disease challenges, weather, soil and other conditions. The company conditions and packages the seeds using its own plants and third-party contract manufacturers. By striking a balance between owning production facility assets directly and contracting with third party growers, the company believes it is best able to maintain flexibility to react to demand changes unique to each geography while minimizing costs. The company seeks to collaborate with strategic seed growers and share its digital agronomy and product management knowledge with them. The company’s third-party growers are an important part of its supply chain. Corteva provides them with rigorous training, planning tools and access to a system that tests and advances products matched to specific geographic needs.

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The seed segment's R&D and supply chain groups work seamlessly to select and maintain product characteristics that enhance the quality of its seed products and solutions. Corteva focuses on customer-driven innovation to deliver superior germplasm and trait technologies. With its large sets of digitized data and its seed field management solution, the company can manage its field operations efficiently and draw insights from data quickly and effectively. This allows the company’s supply chain to react quickly to changing customer needs and provides R&D with tremendous amounts of data to analyze and incorporate into resource allocation decisions. The company continues to invest in and build capabilities that drive value via data digitization and analytics that enable it to create an even more responsive and efficient answer to customer needs.

Crop Protection

The crop protection segment serves the global agricultural input industry with products that protect against weeds, insects and other pests, and disease, and that improve overall crop health both above and below ground via nitrogen management and seed-applied technologies. The company offers crop protection solutions that provide farmers the tools they need to improve productivity and profitability, and help keep fields free of weeds, insects and diseases. The company is a leader in global herbicides, insecticides, nitrogen stabilizers and pasture and range management herbicides.

Details on the crop protection segment’s net sales by major product line and geographic region (based on customer location) are as follows:

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Products and Brands

The crop protection segment’s major brands and technologies, by key product line, are listed below:

Insect and Nematode Management			CLOSER™; DELEGATE™; INTREPID®; ISOCLAST™; LANNATE™; EXALT®; PEXALON™; TRANSFORM™; VYDATE™; OPTIMUM®; RADIANT™; SENTRICON™; ENTRUST® SC; GF-120™; and TRACER™
Disease Management			APROACH™ PRIMA; VESSARYA®; APROACH POWER™; TALENDO™; TALIUS®; EQUATION PRO®; EQUATION CONTACT®; ZORVEC™; DITHANE™; INATREQ™; CURZATE™; TANOS™, FONTELIS™; ACANTO®; and GALILEO®
Weed Control			ARIGO®; ARYLEX®; ENLIST™ weed control system; ENLIST ONE™; BROADWAY™; RINSKOR™; ZYPAR™; MUSTANG®; GALLANT™; VERDICT™; LANCET®; KERB®; PIXXARO®; QUELEX™; GALLERY®; CENT-7®; SNAPSHOT®; TRELLIS®; CITADEL™; CLIPPER™; GRANITE®; RAINBOW™; PINDAR® GT; VIPER®; WIDEATTACK®; BELKAR®; WIDEMATCH®; PERFECTMATCH®; CLINCHER™; DURANGO™; FENCER®; GARLON™; SONIC®; TEXARO®; KEYSTONE®; PACTO®; LIGATE®; DIMENSION®; TOPSHOT™; RICER™; LOYANT™; CLASSIC®; REALM® Q; TRIVENCE®; LONTREL®; GRAZON®; PANZER®; PRIMUS®; RESICORE®; SPIDER®; STARANE®; SURESTART®; and TORDON®
Nitrogen Management			INSTINCT™; N-LOCK™; N-SERVE® Nitrogen Stabilizer

Key Raw Materials

The key raw materials and supplies for crop protection include chlorinated pyridines derivatives, specialty intermediates and technical grade active ingredients, chlorine, and seed treatments. Typically, the company purchases major raw materials through long-term contracts with multiple suppliers, which sometimes require minimum purchase commitments. Certain important raw materials are supplied by a few major suppliers. The company expects the markets for its raw materials to remain balanced, though pricing may be volatile given the current state of the global economy. The company relies on contract manufacturers, both domestically and internationally, to produce certain inputs or key components for its product formulations. These inputs are typically sourced close to where the company ultimately formulates and sells its products. The company strives to maintain multiple high-quality supply sources for each input.

Corteva’s supply chain strategy will involve managing global supplies of active and intermediate ingredients sourced regionally with global best practices and oversight. Corteva’s supply strategy includes a robust and flexible global footprint to meet future portfolio growth. The company’s supply chain also provides competitive advantages including reducing time to meet customer requirements in regions while minimizing costs through the value chain.

Seasonality

Corteva’s sales are generally strongest in the first half of the calendar year, which aligns with the planting and growing season in the northern hemisphere. The company typically generates about 65 percent of its sales in the first half of the calendar year, driven by northern hemisphere seed and crop protection sales. The company generates about 35 percent of its sales in the second half of the calendar year, led by seed sales in the southern hemisphere. The seasonality in sales impacts both the seed and crop protection segments. The company’s direct distribution channel, where products are shipped to farmers, is more affected by planting delays than its competitors. Generally speaking, unfavorable weather slows the planting season and can affect the company’s quarterly results and sales mix. Severe unfavorable weather, however, can impact overall sales. Accounts receivable tends to be higher during the first half of the year, consistent with the peak sales period in the northern hemisphere, with cash collection focused in the fourth quarter.

Human Capital Management

Corteva aims to attract the best employees, to retain those employees through offering career development and training opportunities while also prioritizing their safety and wellness in an inclusive and productive work environment. The company’s strong employee base of approximately 21,000 employees, along with its commitment to Corteva’s core values, is a key element to the success of its business.

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Workforce Composition. As of December 31, 2020, the company globally employs approximately 21,000 employees. In order to address regional specific customer needs within its global business, the company has a geographically diverse employee base with 50%, 16%, 16%, 14% and 4% located in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa regions, respectively.

Approximately 1% of the workforce is unionized in the United States and another 10% participate in work councils and collective bargaining arrangements outside the United States. In 2020, the company did not experience any work stoppages due to strike or lockouts.

Safety. Living safely is one of the company’s core values by which the company manages its business. The company has implemented safety programs and management practices to promote a culture of safety to protect its employees, as well as the environment. This includes required trainings for employees, as well as specific qualifications and certifications for certain operational employees.

Diversity. The company has a robust inclusion, diversity, and equity (“ID&E”) vision and strategy, based upon the company’s belief that embracing diversity and inclusion benefits the company by creating a workforce with a greater variety of skills and perspectives as a result of their differentiated backgrounds and experiences. Specific ID&E initiatives are identified and tracked to create a culture of belonging where a diverse population of employees are attracted, retained, and engaged. Management is expected to support specific diversity initiatives for their respective geographies and business, as applicable, in order to build a more representative workforce. Critical to creating this environment are company-sponsored employee business resource groups (“BRGs”) that support and promote certain mutual objectives of both the employee and the company, including community engagement and the professional development of employees. The BRGs provide a space where employees can foster connections within a supportive environment. As of the 2020 year-end, the company had eight global BRGs, each lead by a member of the company’s executive leadership team: Disability Awareness Network; Global African Heritage Alliance; Growing Asian Impact Network; Latin Network; Pride (LGBTQ); Professional Learning Acceleration Network; Veteran’s Network; and Women’s Inclusion Network.

The company is focused on recruitment of diverse candidates and on internal talent development of its diverse leaders so that they can advance their careers and move into leadership positions within the company. The company monitors its diversity and inclusion efforts through periodic engagement surveys and other measures. The results of the company’s efforts, along with its ID&E strategy, are expected to be reviewed periodically with the company’s management, and through regular reviews of the company’s leadership pipelines with the People and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors.

Experienced Management. The company believes its management team has the experience necessary to effectively execute its strategy and advance its product pipelines and technology. The company's chief executive officer and executive vice presidents have an average approximately 26 years of agriculture experience and are supported by an experienced and talented management team who is dedicated to maintaining and expanding its position as a global force in the agriculture industry.

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Intellectual Property

Corteva considers its intellectual property estate, which includes patents, trade secrets, trademarks and copyrights, in the aggregate, to constitute a valuable asset of Corteva and actively seeks to secure intellectual property rights as part of an overall strategy to protect its investment in innovations and maximize the results of its research and development program. While the company believes that its intellectual property estate, taken as a whole, provides a competitive advantage in many of its businesses, no single patent, trademark, license or group of related patents or licenses is in itself essential to the company as a whole or to any of the company’s segments.

Trade secrets are an important element of the company's intellectual property. Many of the processes used to make Corteva products are kept as trade secrets which, from time to time, may be licensed to third parties. Corteva vigilantly protects all of its intellectual property including its trade secrets. When the company discovers that its trade secrets have been unlawfully taken, it reports the matter to governmental authorities for investigation and potential criminal action, as appropriate. In addition, the company takes measures to mitigate any potential impact, which may include civil actions seeking redress, restitution and/or damages based on loss to the company and/or unjust enrichment.

Patents & Trademarks: Corteva continually applies for and obtains U.S. and foreign patents and has access to a large patent portfolio, both owned and licensed. Corteva’s rights under these patents and licenses, as well as the products made and sold under them, are important to the company in the aggregate. The protection afforded by these patents varies based on country, scope of individual patent coverage, as well as the availability of legal remedies in each country. This significant patent estate may be leveraged to align with the company’s strategic priorities within and across product lines. At December 31, 2020, the company owned about 5,400 U.S. patents and about 10,500 active patents outside of the U.S.

Remaining life of granted patents owned as of December 31, 2020:

			Approximate U.S.			Approximate Other Countries
Within 5 years			600			1,100
6 to 10 years			1,300			3,500
11 to 16 years			2,200			5,600
16 to 20 years			1,300			300
Total			5,400			10,500

In addition to its owned patents, the company owns over 6,400 patent applications.

The company also owns or has licensed a substantial number of trade names, trademarks and trademark registrations in the United States and other countries, including approximately 12,500 registrations and pending trademark applications in a number of jurisdictions.

In addition, the company holds multiple long-term biotechnology trait licenses from third parties as a normal course of business. Most corn hybrids and soybean varieties sold to customers contain biotechnology traits licensed from third parties under these long-term licenses.

Competition

The company competes with producers of seed germplasm, trait developers, and crop protection products on a global basis. The global market for products within the industry is highly competitive and the company believes competition has and will continue to intensify with industry consolidation. Corteva competes based on germplasm and trait leadership, price, quality and cost competitiveness and the offering of a holistic solution. The company’s key competitors include BASF, Bayer, FMC and ChemChina, as well as companies trading in generic crop protection chemicals and regional seed companies.

Environmental Matters

Information related to environmental matters is included in several areas of this report: (1) Environmental Proceedings beginning on page 29, (2) Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations beginning on pages 69, 75-77 and (3) Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, and Note 18 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Regulatory Considerations

Our seed and crop protection products and operations are subject to certain approval procedures, manufacturing requirements and environmental protection laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate. We evaluate and test products throughout the research and development phases, and each new technology undergoes further rigorous scientific studies and tests to ensure that the product can be used effectively and that use of the technology is safe for humans and animals and does not cause undue harm to the environment.

The regulatory approval processes and procedures globally are increasingly more complex, which has resulted in additional tests, time investment and higher development and maintenance costs. We continue to invest on an ongoing basis to keep dossiers current, respond to regulators and meet regulatory standards required by global regulatory frameworks. Failure to comply with these regulations or future regulatory bans and restrictions on our products and their use may materially impact our financial performance.

Regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms (“GMOs”)

Genetically modified seed products are subject to regulatory approval processes and procedures. For example, in the United States, the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology governs genetically modified organisms, using existing U.S. legislation and legal authorities on food, feed and environmental safety. Plant GMOs are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (the “USDA”) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (the “APHIS”) under the Plant Protection Act. The APHIS assesses the trait to ensure that the trait will not pose a plant pest and is not a noxious weed. GMOs in food are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “FFDCA”). The FDA ensures that the food is safe for food and feed. Pesticides and microorganisms containing GMOs are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (the “EPA”) pursuant to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (the “FIFRA”) and the Toxic Substances Control Act. The EPA assesses the trait or the stack containing the traits to ensure that there is no unreasonable adverse effect to the environment.

Other countries also have rigorous approval processes, procedures, and scientific testing requirements for the cultivation or import of genetically modified seed products. In the United States and other countries that have functioning regulatory systems, a rigorous scientific review is conducted by these agencies to demonstrate that genetically modified products are as safe as traditionally bred, non-biotech/GMO counterparts for food, feed and the environment. Various countries in EMEA; Latin America, and Asia have banned GMOs entirely.

Regulation of Crop Protection Products

Globally, manufacturers of crop protection products, including herbicides, fungicides and insecticides are required to submit an application/dossier and obtain government regulatory approval prior to selling products in a particular country. In the United States, the EPA is responsible for registering and overseeing the approval and marketing of pesticides, pursuant to the FIFRA, the FFDCA and the Food Quality Protection Act. Also, the USDA and the FDA monitor levels of pesticide residue that is allowed on or in crops. Already registered pesticides are required to be re-registered every 15 years to ensure that those products continue to meet the rigorous safety standards set by the regulators. The EPA reevaluates pesticide tolerances every 10 years, taking into account ecological and human health risks, in addition to cumulative risks as a result of multiple routes of and sources of exposure.

Our European operations are subject to the European chemical regulation REACH (“Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals”) and the CLP (“Classification, Labeling, and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures”). Other jurisdictions also have rigorous approval processes, procedures and scientific testing requirements for the approval of crop protection products. We continue to follow legislative and regulatory developments related to pollution and other environmental health and safety matters.

Available Information

The company's annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports are accessible on Corteva's website at http://www.corteva.com/ by clicking on the section labeled "Investors", then on "Financial Information." These reports are made available, without charge, as soon as is reasonably practicable after the company files or furnishes them electronically with the SEC. No portion of the company's website, or the materials contained on it, have been made part of this annual report on Form 10-K or incorporated herein by reference, unless such incorporation is specifically mentioned herein.

Part I

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

Risks Related to our Industry

Corteva may not be able to obtain or maintain the necessary regulatory approvals for some of its products, including its seed and crop protection products, which could restrict its ability to sell those products in some markets.

Regulatory and legislative requirements affect the development, manufacture and distribution of Corteva’s products, including the testing and planting of seeds containing Corteva’s biotechnology traits and the import of crops grown from those seeds, and non-compliance can harm Corteva’s sales and profitability.

Seed products incorporating biotechnology derived traits and crop protection products must be extensively tested for safety, efficacy and environmental impact before they can be registered for production, use, sale or commercialization in a given market. In certain jurisdictions, Corteva must periodically renew its approvals for both biotechnology and crop protection products, which typically require Corteva to demonstrate compliance with then-current standards which generally are more stringent since the prior registration. The regulatory approvals process is lengthy, costly, complex and in some markets unpredictable, with requirements that can vary by product, technology, industry and country. The regulatory approvals process for products that incorporate novel modes of action or new technologies can be particularly unpredictable and uncertain due to the then-current state of regulatory guidelines and objectives, as well as governmental policy considerations and non-governmental organization and other stakeholder considerations.

The successful development and commercialization of Corteva’s pipeline products, including Enlist E3™ and Conkesta E3® soybeans, will be necessary for Corteva’s growth.

Corteva uses advanced breeding technologies to produce hybrids and varieties with superior performance in farmers’ fields and uses biotechnology to introduce traits that enhance specific characteristics of its crops. Corteva also uses advanced analytics, software tools, mobile communications and new planting and monitoring equipment to provide agronomic recommendations to growers. Additionally, Corteva conducts research into biological and chemical products to protect farmers’ crops from pests and diseases and enhance plant productivity.

New product concepts may be abandoned for many reasons, including greater anticipated development costs, technical difficulties, lack of efficacy, regulatory obstacles or inability to market under regulatory frameworks, competition, inability to prove the original concept, lack of demand and the need to divert focus, from time to time, to other initiatives with perceived opportunities for better returns. The processes of active ingredient development or discovery, breeding, biotechnology trait discovery and development and trait integration are lengthy, and a very small percentage of the chemicals, genes and germplasm Corteva tests is selected for commercialization. Furthermore, the length of time and the risk associated with the breeding and biotech pipelines are interlinked because both are required as a package for commercial success in markets where biotech traits are approved for growers. For example, the commercial transition to the company’s Enlist E3™ and Conkesta E3® soybean technologies, which are packaged with its Enlist One® and Enlist Duo® herbicides, is expected to take the company several years to complete . In countries where biotech traits are not approved for widespread use, Corteva’s seed sales depend on the quality of its germplasm. While initial commercialization efforts have been promising, there are no guarantees that anticipated levels of product acceptability within Corteva's markets will be achieved or that higher quality products will not be developed by Corteva's competitors in the future.

Speed in discovering, developing, protecting and responding to new technologies, including new technology-based distribution channels that could facilitate Corteva’s ability to engage with customers and end users, and bringing related products to market is a significant competitive advantage. Commercial success frequently depends on being the first company to the market, and many of Corteva’s competitors are also making considerable investments in similar new biotechnology products, improved germplasm products, biological and chemical products and agronomic recommendation products.

The degree of public understanding and acceptance or perceived public acceptance of Corteva’s biotechnology and other agricultural products and technologies can affect Corteva’s sales and results of operations by affecting planting approvals, regulatory requirements and customer purchase decisions.

Concerns and claims regarding the safe use of seeds with biotechnology traits and crop protection products in general, their potential impact on health and the environment, and the perceived impacts of biotechnology on health and the environment, reflect a growing trend in societal demands for increasing levels of product safety and environmental protection. These include concerns and claims that increased use of crop protection products, drift, inversion, volatilization and the use of biotechnology

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traits meant to reduce the resistance of weeds or pests to control by crop protection products, could increase or accelerate such resistance and otherwise negatively impact health and the environment. These and other concerns could manifest themselves in stockholder proposals, preferred purchasing, delays or failures in obtaining or retaining regulatory approvals, delayed product launches, lack of market acceptance, product discontinuation, continued pressure for and adoption of more stringent regulatory intervention and litigation, termination of raw material supply agreements and legal claims. These and other concerns could also influence public perceptions, the viability or continued sales of certain of Corteva’s products, Corteva’s reputation and the cost to comply with regulations. As a result, such concerns could have a material adverse effect Corteva’s business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Changes in agricultural and related policies of governments and international organizations may prove unfavorable.

In many markets there are various pressures to reduce government subsidies to farmers, which may inhibit the growth in these markets of products used in agriculture. In addition, government programs that create incentives for farmers may be modified or discontinued. However, it is difficult to predict accurately whether, and if so when, such changes will occur. Corteva expects that the policies of governments and international organizations will continue to affect the planting choices made by growers as well as the income available to growers to purchase products used in agriculture and, accordingly, the operating results of the agriculture industry.

Corteva participates in an industry that is highly competitive and has undergone consolidation, which could increase competitive pressures.

Corteva currently faces significant competition in the markets in which it operates. In most segments of the market, the number of products available to the grower is steadily increasing as new products are introduced. At the same time, certain products are coming off patent and are thus available to generic manufacturers for production and commercialization. Additionally, data analytic tools and web-based new direct purchase models offer increased transparency and comparability, which creates price pressures. Corteva cannot predict the pricing or promotional actions of its competitors. Aggressive marketing or pricing by Corteva’s competitors could adversely affect Corteva’s business, results of operations and financial conditions. As a result, Corteva continues to face significant competitive challenges.

Furthermore, the detection of biotechnology traits or chemical residues from a crop protection product not approved in the country in which Corteva sells or cultivates its product, or in a country to which Corteva imports its product, may affect Corteva’s ability to supply its products or export its products, or even result in crop destruction, product recalls or trade disruption, which could result in lawsuits and termination of licenses related to biotechnology traits and raw material supply agreements. Delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to import, including those related to the importation of crops grown from seeds containing certain traits or treated with specific chemicals, may influence the rate of adoption of new products in globally traded crops.

Additionally, the regulatory environment may be impacted by the activities of non-governmental organizations and special interest groups and stakeholder reaction to actual or perceived impacts of new and existing technology, products or processes on safety, health and the environment. Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals requires submitting a significant amount of information and data, which may require participation from technology providers. Regulatory standards and trial procedures are continuously changing. In addition, Corteva has seen an increase in recent years in the number of lawsuits filed by those who identify themselves as public or environmental interest groups seeking to invalidate pesticide product registrations and/or challenge the way federal or state governmental entities apply the rules and regulations governing pesticide produce use. The pace of change together with the lack of regulatory harmony could result in unintended noncompliance. Responding to these changes and meeting existing and new requirements may involve significant costs or capital expenditures or require changes in business practice that could result in reduced profitability. The failure to receive necessary permits or approvals could have near- and long-term effects on Corteva’s ability to produce and sell some current and future products.

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Corteva’s business may be materially affected by competition from manufacturers of generic products.

Competition from manufacturers of generic products is a challenge for Corteva’s branded products around the world, and the loss or expiration of intellectual property rights can have a significant adverse effect on Corteva’s revenues. The date at which generic competition commences may be different from the date that the patent or regulatory exclusivity expires. However, upon the loss or expiration of patent protection for one of Corteva’s products or of a product that Corteva licenses, or upon the “at-risk” launch (despite pending patent infringement litigation against the generic product) by a generic manufacturer of a generic version of one of Corteva’s patented products or of a product that Corteva licenses, Corteva can lose a major portion of revenues for that product, which can have a material adverse effect on Corteva’s business.

The costs of complying with evolving regulatory requirements could negatively impact Corteva’s business, results of operations and financial condition. Actual or alleged violations of environmental laws or permit requirements could result in restrictions or prohibitions on plant operations, substantial civil or criminal sanctions, as well as the assessment of strict liability and/or joint and several liability.

Corteva is subject to extensive federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations, rules and ordinances relating to pollution, protection of the environment, waste water discharges, the generation, storage, handling, transportation, treatment, disposal and remediation of hazardous substances and waste materials and the use of genetically modified seeds and crop protection active ingredients by growers.

Environmental and health and safety laws, regulations and standards expose Corteva to the risk of substantial costs and liabilities, including liabilities associated with Corteva’s business and the discontinued and divested businesses and operations of EID. As is typical for businesses like Corteva’s, soil and groundwater contamination has occurred in the past at certain sites and may be identified at other sites in the future. Disposal of waste from Corteva’s business at off-site locations also exposes it to potential remediation costs. Consistent with past practice, Corteva is continuing to monitor, investigate and remediate soil and groundwater contamination at several of these sites.

Costs and capital expenditures relating to environmental, health or safety matters are subject to evolving regulatory requirements and depend on the timing of the promulgation and enforcement of specific standards which impose the requirements. Moreover, changes in environmental regulations could inhibit or interrupt Corteva’s operations, or require modifications to its facilities. Accordingly, environmental, health or safety regulatory matters could result in significant unanticipated costs or liabilities, which may be materially higher than Corteva’s accruals.

Climate change and unpredictable seasonal and weather factors could impact Corteva’s sales and earnings.

The agriculture industry is subject to seasonal and weather factors, which can vary unpredictably from period to period. Weather factors can affect the presence of disease and pests on a regional basis and, accordingly, can positively or adversely affect the demand for crop protection products, including the mix of products used or the level of returns. The weather also can affect the quality, volume and cost of seed produced for sale as well as demand and product mix. Seed yields can be higher or lower than planned, which could lead to higher inventory and related write-offs. Climate change may increase the frequency or intensity of extreme weather such as storms, floods, heat waves, droughts and other events that could affect the quality, volume and cost of seed produced for sale as well as demand and product mix. Climate change may also affect the availability and suitability of arable land and contribute to unpredictable shifts in the average growing season and types of crops produced.

Reduction in ethanol demand driven by declines in crude oil and gasoline consumption could negatively impact demand for corn, which can negatively impact the company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

During 2020 global and U.S. crude oil price benchmarks suffered record declines in demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home orders and over-supply due to price disputes between Russia and Saudi Arabia. U.S. ethanol producers have shut down their facilities and declared “force majeure” on shipments for corn purchases due to depressed demand. Similar trends with respect to bio-fuels, like ethanol, are occurring globally. Approximately one-third of U.S. corn has been historically used in the production of ethanol for gasoline. However, U.S. ethanol supplies bottomed at approximately 53% of its pre-COVID-19 U.S. lockdown levels in April 2020 and have not yet rebounded to pre-COVID lockdown levels. This lost corn utilization to manufacture ethanol may add to ending corn inventory stock. Continued declines in the demand for corn, or over-supply, will negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Corteva’s sales to its customers may be adversely affected should a company successfully establish an intermediary platform for the sale of Corteva’s products or otherwise position itself between Corteva and its customers.

Corteva services customers primarily through the Pioneer direct sales channel in key agricultural geographies, including the United States. In addition, Corteva supplements this approach with strong retail channels, including distributors, agricultural cooperatives and dealers, and with digital solutions that assist farmer decision-making with a view to optimize their product selection and maximize their yield and profitability. While Corteva expects the indirect channels and its digital platform will extend its reach and increase exposure of its products to other potential customers, including smaller farmers or farmers in less concentrated areas, there can be no assurance that Corteva will be successful in this regard. If a competitor were to successfully establish an intermediary platform for distribution of Corteva’s products, especially with respect to Corteva’s digital platform, it may disrupt Corteva’s distribution model and inhibit Corteva’s ability to provide a complete go-to-market strategy covering the direct, dealer and retail channels. In such a circumstance, Corteva’s sales may be adversely affected.

Risks Related to Our Operations

Corteva is dependent on its relationships or contracts with third parties with respect to certain of its raw materials or licenses and commercialization.

Corteva is dependent on third parties in the research, development and commercialization of its products and enters into transactions including, but not limited to, supply agreements and licensing agreements in connection with Corteva’s business. The majority of Corteva’s corn hybrids and soybean varieties sold to customers contain biotechnology traits that Corteva licenses from third parties under long-term licenses. If Corteva loses its rights under such licenses, it could negatively impact Corteva’s ability to obtain future licenses on competitive terms, commercialize new products and generate sales from existing products. To maintain such licenses, Corteva may elect to out-license its technology, including germplasm. There can be no guarantee that such out-licensing will not ultimately strengthen Corteva’s competition thereby adversely impacting Corteva’s results of operations.

While Corteva relies heavily on third parties for multiple aspects of its business and commercialization activities, Corteva does not control many aspects of such third parties’ activities. Third parties may not complete activities on schedule or in accordance with Corteva’s expectations. Failure by one or more of these third parties to meet their contractual or other obligations to Corteva or to comply with applicable laws or regulations, or any disruption in the relationship between Corteva and one or more of these third parties could delay or prevent the development, approval or commercialization of Corteva’s products and could also result in non-compliance or reputational harm, all with potential negative implications for Corteva’s business.

In addition, Corteva’s agreements with third parties may obligate it to meet certain contractual or other obligations to third parties. For example, Corteva may be obligated to meet certain thresholds or abide by certain boundary conditions. If Corteva were to fail to meet such obligations to the third parties, its relationship with such third parties may be disrupted. Such a disruption could negatively impact certain of Corteva’s licenses on which it depends, could cause reputational harm, and could negatively affect Corteva’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

Corteva’s business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected by industrial espionage and other disruptions to its supply chain, information technology or network systems.

Business and/or supply chain disruptions, plant and/or power outages and information technology system and/or network disruptions, regardless of cause including acts of sabotage, employee error or other actions, geo-political activity, local epidemics or pandemics, weather events and natural disasters could seriously harm Corteva’s operations as well as the operations of its customers and suppliers. For example, a pandemic in locations where Corteva has significant operations, sales, or key suppliers could have a material adverse effect on Corteva’s results of operations. In addition, terrorist attacks and natural disasters have increased stakeholder concerns about the security and safety of chemical production and distribution.

Business and/or supply chain disruptions may also be caused by security breaches, which could include, for example, attacks on information technology and infrastructure by hackers, viruses, breaches due to employee error or actions or other disruptions. Corteva and/or its suppliers may fail to effectively prevent, detect and recover from these or other security breaches and, as a consequence, such breaches could result in misuse of Corteva’s assets, business disruptions, loss of property including trade

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secrets and confidential business information, legal claims or proceedings, reporting errors, processing inefficiencies, negative media attention, loss of sales and interference with regulatory compliance.

Like most major corporations, Corteva is the target of industrial espionage, including cyber-attacks, from time to time. Corteva has determined that these incidents have resulted, and could result in the future, in unauthorized parties gaining access to certain confidential business information. However, to date, Corteva has not experienced any material financial impact, changes in the competitive environment or impact on business operations from these events. Although management does not believe that Corteva has experienced any material losses to date related to industrial espionage and security breaches, including cybersecurity incidents, there can be no assurance that Corteva will not suffer such losses in the future.

Corteva actively manages the risks within its control that could lead to business disruptions and security breaches. As these threats continue to evolve, particularly around cybersecurity, Corteva may be required to expend significant resources to enhance its control environment, processes, practices and other protective measures. Despite these efforts, such events could also have a material adverse effect on Corteva’s business, financial condition, results of operations and reputation. Additionally, any losses from such an event may be excluded from, or in excess of the coverages provided by Corteva's insurance policies.

Volatility in Corteva’s input costs, which include raw materials and production costs, could have a significant impact on Corteva’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

Corteva’s input costs are variable based on the costs associated with production or with raw materials Corteva uses. For example, Corteva’s production costs vary, especially on a seasonal basis where changes in weather influence supply and demand. In addition, Corteva’s manufacturing processes consume significant amounts of raw materials, the costs of which are subject to worldwide supply and demand as well as other factors beyond Corteva’s control. Corteva refers to these costs collectively as input costs. Significant variations in input costs affect Corteva’s operating results from period to period.

When possible, Corteva purchases raw materials through negotiated long-term contracts to minimize the impact of price fluctuations. Corteva also enters into over-the-counter and exchange traded derivative commodity instruments to hedge its exposure to price fluctuations on certain raw material purchases. In addition, Corteva takes actions to offset the effects of higher input costs through selling price increases, productivity improvements and cost reduction programs. Success in offsetting higher input costs with price increases is largely influenced by competitive and economic conditions and could vary significantly depending on the market served. If Corteva is not able to fully offset the effects of higher input costs, it could have a significant impact on its financial results.

Corteva may be unable to achieve all the benefits that it expects to achieve from future restructuring and other cost savings initiatives, which may adversely affect Corteva’s results and negatively affect the value of Corteva common stock.

Restructurings, cost savings programs, synergy expectations and other similar initiatives can be complex, costly and time-consuming processes. Management may face significant challenges in implementing or realizing the expected benefits from these programs, many of which may be beyond the control of management, including, without limitation:

• difficulties in achieving anticipated cost savings, synergies, business opportunities and growth prospects;

• the possibility of faulty assumptions underlying expectations regarding the integration or separation process, including with respect to the intended tax efficient transactions;

• unanticipated issues in integrating, replicating or separating information technology, communications programs, financial procedures and operations, and other systems, procedures and policies;

• addressing differences in business culture and retaining key personnel;

• unanticipated changes in applicable laws and regulations;

• managing tax costs or inefficiencies associated with integrating the operations of Corteva and the intended tax efficient separation transactions;

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• coordinating geographically separate organizations;

• failing to successfully optimize Corteva’s facilities footprint and operational programs; and

• failing to otherwise integrate EID’s or DAS’s respective agriculture businesses, including their technology platforms.

Some of these factors are outside of Corteva’s control and any one of them could result in increased costs and diversion of management’s time and energy, as well as decreases in the amount of expected revenue which could materially impact Corteva’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

If the anticipated benefits and cost savings from restructurings, cost saving initiatives or transactions are not realized fully or take longer to realize than expected, the value of Corteva’s common stock, revenues, levels of expenses and results of operations may be affected adversely. There can be no assurance that Corteva will be able to sustain any or all the cost savings generated from its restructurings or cost savings initiatives.

Corteva’s liquidity, business, results of operations and financial condition could be impaired if it is unable to raise capital through the capital markets or short-term debt borrowings.

Any limitation on Corteva’s ability to raise money in the capital markets or through short-term debt borrowings could have a substantial negative effect on Corteva’s liquidity. Corteva’s ability to affordably access the capital markets and/or borrow short-term debt in amounts adequate to finance its activities could be impaired as a result of a variety of factors, including factors that are not specific to Corteva, such as a severe disruption of the financial markets and, in the case of debt securities or borrowings, interest rate fluctuations. Due to the seasonality of Corteva’s business and the credit programs Corteva may offer its customers, net working capital investment and corresponding debt levels will fluctuate over the course of the year.

Corteva regularly extends credit to its customers to enable them to purchase seeds or crop protection products at the beginning of the growing season. The customer receivables may be used as collateral for short-term financing programs. Any material adverse effect upon Corteva’s ability to own or sell such customer receivables, including seasonal factors that may impact the amount of customer receivables Corteva owns, may materially impact Corteva’s access to capital.

Corteva has additional agreements with financial institutions to establish programs that provide financing for select customers of Corteva’s seed and crop protection products in the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia. The programs are renewed on an annual basis. In most cases, Corteva guarantees the extension of such credit to such customers. If Corteva is unable to renew these agreements or access the debt markets to support customer financing, Corteva’s sales may be negatively impacted, which could result in increased borrowing needs to fund working capital.

Corteva’s earnings, operations and business, among other things, will impact its credit ratings, costs and availability of financing. A decrease in the ratings assigned to Corteva or EID by the ratings agencies may negatively impact Corteva’s access to the debt capital markets and increase Corteva’s cost of borrowing and the financing of its seasonal working capital.

There can be no assurance that Corteva or EID will maintain its current or prospective credit ratings. Any actual or anticipated changes or downgrades in such credit ratings may have a negative impact on Corteva’s liquidity, capital position or access to capital markets.

Corteva’s customers may be unable to pay their debts to Corteva, which could adversely affect Corteva’s results.

Corteva offers its customers financing programs with credit terms generally less than one year from invoicing in alignment with the growing season. Due to these credit practices as well as the seasonality of Corteva’s operations, Corteva may need to issue short-term debt at certain times of the year to fund its cash flow requirements. Corteva’s customers may be exposed to a variety of conditions that could adversely affect their ability to pay their debts. For example, customers in economies experiencing an economic downturn or in a region experiencing adverse growing conditions may be unable to repay their obligations to Corteva, which could adversely affect Corteva’s results.

Increases in pension and other post-employment benefit plan funding obligations may adversely affect Corteva’s results of operations, liquidity or financial condition.

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Through Corteva's ownership of EID, Corteva maintains EID defined benefit pension and other post-employment benefit plans. For some of these plans, including EID’s principal U.S. pension plan, Corteva continues as sponsor for the entire plan regardless of whether participants, including retirees, are or were associated with EID’s agriculture business. Corteva uses many assumptions in calculating its expected future payment obligations under these plans. Significant adverse changes in credit or market conditions could result in actual rates of returns on pension investments being lower than assumed. In addition, expected future payment obligations may be adversely impacted by changes in assumptions regarding participants, including retirees. In 2021, Corteva expects to contribute approximately $47 million to its pension plans other than the principal U.S. pension plan, and about $217 million for its other post-employment benefit ("OPEB") plans. Additionally, Corteva may make potential discretionary contributions to the principal U.S. pension plan in 2021. Corteva, furthermore, may be required to make significant contributions to its pension plans in the future, which could adversely affect Corteva’s results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

Corteva’s business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected by environmental, litigation and other commitments and contingencies.

As a result of Corteva’s operations, including past operations and those related to divested businesses and discontinued operations of EID, Corteva incurs environmental operating costs for pollution abatement activities including waste collection and disposal, installation and maintenance of air pollution controls and wastewater treatment, emissions testing and monitoring and obtaining permits. Corteva also incurs environmental operating costs related to environmental related research and development activities including environmental field and treatment studies as well as toxicity and degradation testing to evaluate the environmental impact of products and raw materials. In addition, Corteva maintains and periodically reviews and adjusts its accruals for probable environmental remediation and restoration costs.

Corteva expects to continue to incur environmental operating costs since it will operate global manufacturing, product handling and distribution facilities that are subject to a broad array of environmental laws and regulations. These rules are subject to change by the implementing governmental agency, which Corteva monitors closely. Corteva’s policy requires that its operations fully meet or exceed legal and regulatory requirements. In addition, Corteva expects to continue certain voluntary programs, and could consider additional voluntary actions, to reduce air emissions, minimize the generation of hazardous waste, decrease the volume of water use and discharges, increase the efficiency of energy use and reduce the generation of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic materials. Costs to comply with complex environmental laws and regulations, as well as internal voluntary programs and goals, are significant and Corteva expects these costs will continue to be significant for the foreseeable future. Over the long term, such expenditures are subject to considerable uncertainty and could fluctuate significantly.

Corteva accrues for environmental matters when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. As remediation activities vary substantially in duration and cost from site to site, it is difficult to develop precise estimates of future site remediation costs. Corteva expects to base such estimates on several factors, including the complexity of the geology, the nature and extent of contamination, the type of remedy, the outcome of discussions with regulatory agencies and other Potentially Responsible Parties (“PRPs”) at multi-party sites and the number of, and financial viability of, other PRPs. Considerable uncertainty exists with respect to environmental remediation costs and, under adverse changes in circumstances, the potential liability may be materially higher than Corteva’s accruals.

Corteva faces risks arising from various unasserted and asserted litigation matters arising out of the normal course of its current and former business operations, including intellectual property, commercial, product liability, environmental and antitrust lawsuits. Corteva has noted a trend in public and private suits being filed on behalf of states, counties, cities and utilities alleging harm to the general public and the environment, including waterways and watersheds. Claims alleging harm to the public and the environment may be brought against Corteva, notwithstanding years of scientific evidence and regulatory determinations supporting the safety of crop protection products. The litigation involving Monsanto’s Roundup® non-selective glyphosate containing weedkiller products has resulted in negative publicity and sentiment and may lead to similar suits with respect to glyphosate-containing products and/or other established crop protection products. Claims and allegations that Corteva’s products or products that Corteva manufactures or markets on behalf of third parties are not safe could result in litigation, damage to Corteva’s reputation and have a material adverse effect on Corteva’s business. It is not possible to predict the outcome of these various proceedings and any potential impact on Corteva. An adverse outcome in any one or more of these matters may result in losses not fully covered by Corteva's insurance policies, and could be material to Corteva's financial results. Various factors or developments can lead to changes in current estimates of liabilities. Such factors and developments may include, but are not limited to, additional data, safety or risk assessments, as well as a final adverse judgment, significant

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settlement or changes in applicable law. A future adverse ruling or unfavorable development could result in future charges that could have a material adverse effect on Corteva.

The company, pursuant to the respective Separation Agreements, is entitled to cost sharing and indemnification from Chemours, Dow and DuPont, as applicable, for certain litigation, environmental, workers’ compensation and other liabilities related to its historical operations. In connection with the recognition of liabilities related to these matters, Corteva records an indemnification asset when recovery is deemed probable. These estimates of recovery are subject to various factors and developments that could result in differences from future estimates or the actual recovery. As of December 31, 2020, the indemnification assets pursuant to the Chemours Separation Agreement and the Corteva Separation Agreement are in aggregate $98 million within accounts and notes receivable - net and $308 million within other assets in the company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. Any failure by, or inability to pay, these liabilities in line with the indemnification provisions of the Separation Agreements may have a material adverse effect on Corteva and its financial condition and results of operations.

In the ordinary course of business, Corteva may make certain commitments, including representations, warranties and indemnities relating to current and past operations, including those related to divested businesses and issue guarantees of third party obligations. If Corteva were required to make payments as a result, they could exceed the amounts accrued, thereby adversely affecting Corteva’s financial condition and results of operations.

Corteva’s operations outside the United States are subject to risks and restrictions, which could negatively affect Corteva’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

Corteva’s operations outside the United States are subject to risks and restrictions, including fluctuations in foreign-currency exchange rates; exchange control regulations; corruption risks; competitive restrictions; changes in local political or economic conditions; import and trade restrictions; import or export licensing requirements and trade policy; and other potentially detrimental domestic and foreign governmental practices or policies affecting U.S. companies doing business abroad. In addition, Corteva’s international operations are sometimes in countries with unstable governments, economic or fiscal challenges, military or political conflicts, local epidemics or pandemics, significant levels of crime and organized crime, or developing legal systems. This may increase the risk to the company's employees, subcontractors or other parties, and to other liabilities, such as property loss or damage to the company's products, and may affect Corteva's ability to safely operate in, or import into, or receive raw materials from these countries.

Additionally, Corteva’s ability to export its products and its sales outside the United States has been, and may continue to be adversely affected by significant changes in trade, tax or other policies, including the risk that other countries may retaliate through the imposition of their own trade restrictions and/or increased tariffs in response to substantial changes to U.S. trade and tax policies.

Although Corteva has operations throughout the world, Corteva’s sales outside the United States in 2020 were principally to customers in Brazil, Eurozone countries, and Canada. Further, Corteva’s largest currency exposures are the Brazilian Real, Swiss franc, European Euro ("EUR"), and Canadian dollar. Market uncertainty or an economic downturn in these geographic areas could reduce demand for Corteva’s products and result in decreased sales volume, which could have a negative impact on Corteva’s results of operations. In addition, changes in exchange rates may affect Corteva’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows in future periods. Corteva actively manages currency exposures that are associated with net monetary asset positions and committed purchases.

Failure to effectively manage acquisitions, divestitures, alliances and other portfolio actions could adversely impact Corteva’s future results.

From time to time Corteva evaluates acquisition candidates that may strategically fit Corteva’s business and/or growth objectives. If Corteva is unable to successfully integrate and develop acquired businesses, Corteva could fail to achieve anticipated synergies and cost savings, including any expected increases in revenues and operating results, which could have a material adverse effect on Corteva’s financial results. Corteva continually reviews its portfolio of assets for contributions to its objectives and alignment with its growth strategy. However, Corteva may not be successful in separating underperforming or non-strategic assets and gains or losses on the divestiture of, or lost operating income from, such assets may affect Corteva’s earnings. Moreover, Corteva might incur asset impairment charges related to acquisitions or divestitures that reduce its earnings. In addition, if the execution or implementation of acquisitions, divestitures, alliances, joint ventures and other portfolio actions is not successful, it could adversely impact Corteva’s financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.

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Global or regional health pandemics or epidemics, including COVID-19, could negatively impact the company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

Corteva's business, financial condition, and results of operations could be negatively impacted by COVID-19 or other pandemics or epidemics. The severity, magnitude and duration of the current COVID-19 pandemic and future outbreaks is uncertain, rapidly changing and difficult to predict. To date, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted foreign currency exchange rates, as a result of a generally stronger U.S. dollar relative to other currencies in the countries in which the company operates, which has adversely affected the company's reported results of operations. These relative differences could widen and further adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

COVID-19 and the related government-imposed restrictions, including stay at home orders, has significantly impacted other economic activity and markets around the world, which could negatively impact the company's business, financial condition, and results of operations in numerous ways, including but not limited to those outlined below:

• Current and future COVID-19 outbreaks and resulting illness, travel restrictions and workforce disruptions could impact Corteva's global supply chain, its operations and its routes to market or those of its suppliers, co-manufacturers, or customers/distributors. These disruptions or the company's failure to effectively respond to them could increase product or distribution costs, alter the timing of recognizing manufacturing costs, or impact the delivery of products to customers.

• Government or regulatory responses to pandemics could negatively impact the company's business. Mandatory lockdowns or other restrictions on operations in certain countries have temporarily disrupted the company's ability to operate or distribute its products in these markets. Continuation or expansion of these disruptions could materially adversely impact the company's operations and results.

• Reductions to the company’s forecasted profitability and continued global economic decline could trigger potential impairment of the carrying value of goodwill or other indefinite and definite-lived intangible assets.

• The instability or unavailability of a farm workforce to harvest agricultural products could impact the company's customers’ ability to monetize their crop and potentially impact the collection of the company's customer receivables.

• Continued commodity cost volatility is expected and the company's commodity hedging activities may not sufficiently offset this volatility. Depressed commodity prices may increase the insolvency risk of Corteva's customers in the longer-term, along with reducing the demand for Corteva's products.

• Disruptions or uncertainties related to the COVID-19 outbreak for a sustained period of time could result in delays or modifications to the company's strategic plans and productivity initiatives.

• Increased volatility and pricing in the capital and commercial paper markets may reoccur and impact the company's access to preferred sources of liquidity resulting in higher borrowing costs. The company cannot assure investors that additional liquidity will be readily available or available on favorable terms.

• Increased market volatility may bring unprecedented market conditions making it difficult for the company to adequately forecast customer demand or price its products.

Therefore, the impact of the recent COVID-19 outbreak and the unprecedented economic conditions resulting from it will have on the company's consolidated results of operations is uncertain, but could still negatively impact the company's business operations, financial performance and results of operations in the future.

Corteva’s business or stock price could be negatively affected as a result of actions of activist stockholders.

Corteva's board of directors and management value constructive input from our stockholders and are committed to acting in the best interests of all our stockholders. However, Corteva may be subject to actions or proposals from stockholders or others that may not align with its business strategies or the interests of our other stockholders.

The company recently received a notice from Starboard Value and Opportunity Master Fund Ltd. (“Starboard”) of its intention to nominate eight director candidates for election to the company’s board of directors at the company’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Starboard has also made public statements calling for changes to our management. Responding to these actions by Starboard and potential actions by other activist stockholders could be costly and time-consuming, disrupt the company's operations and divert the attention of its board of directors, management and our employees. A contested election with respect to the company's directors could also require the company to incur substantial legal, public relations and other advisory fees and proxy solicitation expenses. In addition, perceived uncertainties as to Corteva's future direction, strategy or leadership created

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as a consequence of activist stockholder initiatives may result in the loss of potential business opportunities, harm our ability to attract new investors, customers, employees, suppliers and other strategic partners. The perceived uncertainties as to the company’s future direction, strategy or leadership, also could cause our stock price to experience periods of volatility.

Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property

Enforcing Corteva’s intellectual property rights, or defending against intellectual property claims asserted by others, could materially affect Corteva’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

Intellectual property rights, including patents, plant variety protection, trade secrets, confidential information, trademarks, trade names and other forms of trade dress, are important to Corteva’s business. Corteva endeavors to protect its intellectual property rights in jurisdictions in which its products are produced or used and in jurisdictions into which its products are imported. However, Corteva may be unable to obtain protection for its intellectual property in key jurisdictions. Further, changes in government policies and regulations, including changes made in reaction to pressure from non-governmental organizations, or the public generally, could impact the extent of intellectual property protection afforded by such jurisdictions.

Corteva has designed and implemented internal controls to restrict use of, access to and distribution of its intellectual property. Despite these precautions, Corteva’s intellectual property is vulnerable to infringement, misappropriation and other unauthorized access, including through employee or licensee error or actions, theft and cybersecurity incidents, and other security breaches. When unauthorized access and use or counterfeit products are discovered, Corteva reports such situations to governmental authorities for investigation, as appropriate, and takes measures to mitigate any potential impact. Protecting intellectual property related to biotechnology is particularly challenging because theft is difficult to detect and biotechnology can be self-replicating.

Competitors are increasingly challenging intellectual property positions and the outcomes can be highly uncertain. Third parties may claim Corteva’s products violate their intellectual property rights. Defending such claims, even those without merit, could be time-consuming and expensive. In addition, any such claim could result in Corteva’s having to enter into license agreements, develop non-infringing products or engage in litigation that could be costly. If challenges are resolved adversely, it could negatively impact Corteva’s ability to obtain licenses on competitive terms, develop and commercialize new products and generate sales from existing products.

In addition, because of the rapid pace of technological change, the confidentiality of patent applications in some jurisdictions and/or the uncertainty in predicting the outcome of complex proceedings relating to ownership and the scope of patents relating to certain emerging technologies, competitors may be issued patents related to Corteva’s business unexpectedly. These patents could reduce the value of Corteva’s commercial or pipeline products or, to the extent they cover key technologies on which Corteva has relied, require Corteva to seek to obtain licenses (and Corteva cannot ensure it would be able to obtain such a license on acceptable terms) or cease using the technology, no matter how valuable to Corteva’s business.

Legislation and jurisprudence on patent protection is evolving and changes in laws could affect Corteva’s ability to obtain or maintain patent protection for, and otherwise enforce Corteva’s patents related to, its products.

Corteva’s business may be adversely affected by the availability of counterfeit products.

A counterfeit product is one that has been deliberately and fraudulently mislabeled as to its identity and source. A counterfeit Corteva product, therefore, is one manufactured by someone other than Corteva, but which appears to be the same as an authentic Corteva product. The prevalence of counterfeit products is a significant and growing industry-wide issue due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the following: the widespread use of the Internet, which has greatly facilitated the ease by which counterfeit products can be advertised, purchased and delivered to individual consumers; the availability of sophisticated technology that makes it easier for counterfeiters to make counterfeit products; and the relatively modest risk of penalties faced by counterfeiters compared to the large profits that can be earned by them from the sale of counterfeit products. Further, laws against counterfeiting vary greatly from country to country, and the enforcement of existing laws varies greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For example, in some countries, counterfeiting is not a crime; in others, it may result in only minimal sanctions. In addition, those involved in the distribution of counterfeit products use complex transport routes to evade customs controls by disguising the true source of their products.

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Corteva’s global reputation makes its products prime targets for counterfeiting organizations. Counterfeit products pose a risk to consumer health and safety because of the conditions under which they are manufactured (often in unregulated, unlicensed, uninspected and unsanitary sites) as well as the lack of regulation of their contents. Failure to mitigate the threat of counterfeit products, which is exacerbated by the complexity of the supply chain, could adversely impact Corteva’s business by, among other things, causing the loss of consumer confidence in Corteva’s name and in the integrity of its products, potentially resulting in lost sales and an increased threat of litigation.

Corteva undertakes significant efforts to counteract the threats associated with counterfeit products, including, among other things, working with regulatory authorities and multinational coalitions to combat the counterfeiting of products and supporting efforts by law enforcement authorities to prosecute counterfeiters; assessing new and existing technologies to seek to make it more difficult for counterfeiters to copy Corteva’s products and easier for consumers to distinguish authentic from counterfeit products; working diligently to raise public awareness about the dangers of counterfeit products; working collaboratively with wholesalers, customs offices and law enforcement agencies to increase inspection coverage, monitor distribution channels and improve surveillance of distributors; and working with other members of an international trade association of agrochemical companies to promote initiatives to combat counterfeiting activity. No assurance can be given, however, that Corteva’s efforts and the efforts of others will be entirely successful, and the presence of counterfeit products may continue to increase.

Restrictions under the intellectual property cross-license agreements limit Corteva’s ability to develop and commercialize certain products and services and/or prosecute, maintain and enforce certain intellectual property.

The company is dependent to a certain extent on DuPont and Dow to maintain and enforce certain of the intellectual property licensed under the Intellectual Property Cross-License Agreements. For example, DuPont and Dow are responsible for filing, prosecuting and maintaining (at their respective discretion) patents on trade secrets and know-how that they each respectively license to Corteva. They also have the first right to enforce their respective trade secrets and know-how licensed to Corteva. If DuPont or Dow, as applicable, fails to fulfill its obligations or chooses to not enforce the licensed patents, trade secrets or know-how under the Intellectual Property Cross-License Agreements, the company may not be able to prevent competitors from making, using and selling competitive products and services.

In addition, Corteva’s use of the intellectual property licensed to it under the Intellectual Property Cross-License Agreements is restricted to certain fields, which could limit Corteva’s ability to develop and commercialize certain products and services. For example, the licenses granted to Corteva under the agreement will not extend to all fields of use that the company may decide to enter into in the future. These restrictions may make it more difficult, time consuming and/or expensive for Corteva to develop and commercialize certain new products and services, or may result in certain of its products or services being later to market than those of its competitors.

Risks Related to The Separation

The company may be unable to achieve some or all of the benefits that it expected to achieve from the Separation from DowDuPont.

Corteva continues to, among other things, focus its financial and operational resources on its specific business, growth profile and strategic priorities, guide its processes and infrastructure to focus on its core strengths, maintain a capital structure designed to meet its specific needs and more effectively respond to agricultural industry dynamics, all of which are benefits the company expected to achieve from its Separation. However, the company may be unable to fully achieve some or all of these benefits.

For example, in order to position itself for the Separation and Distribution, the company undertook a series of strategic, structural and process realignment and restructuring actions within its operations. These actions may not provide the benefits the company expected, and could lead to disruption of operations, loss of, or inability to recruit, key personnel needed to operate and grow its businesses following the Separation, weakening of its internal standards, controls or procedures and impairment of its key customer and supplier relationships. If the company fails to achieve some or all of the benefits that it expected to achieve as an independent company, or does not achieve them in the time expected, its business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Further, the company’s business traditionally was operated under the umbrella of DowDuPont’s corporate organization, with portions of its businesses being integrated with the businesses of Historical DuPont and Historical Dow. This integration has

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historically permitted its business (or portions thereof) to enjoy economies of scope and scale in costs, employees, vendor relationships and customer relationships, both as part of the DowDuPont organization and within the Historical DuPont and Historical Dow internal corporate structures. The loss of these benefits could have a material adverse effect on the company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

In connection with the Separation the company has assumed, and agreed to indemnify DuPont and Dow for, certain liabilities. If the company is required to make payments pursuant to these indemnities, the company may need to divert cash to meet those obligations and its financial results could be negatively impacted. In addition, DuPont and Dow will indemnify Corteva for certain liabilities. These indemnities may not be sufficient to insure the company against the full amount of liabilities it incurs, and DuPont and/or Dow, and/or their historical separated businesses, may not be able to satisfy their indemnification obligations in the future.

Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, the Employee Matters Agreement and the Tax Matters Agreement with DuPont and Dow, the company agreed to assume, and indemnify DuPont and Dow for, certain liabilities for uncapped amounts, which may include, among other items, associated defense costs, settlement amounts and judgments, as discussed further in Note 18 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the Consolidated Financial Statements and Part I - Item 3 - Legal Proceedings. Payments pursuant to these indemnities may be significant and could negatively impact the company’s business, particularly indemnities relating to certain litigation for Historical DuPont operations or its actions that could impact the tax-free nature of the Corteva Distribution. Third parties could also seek to hold the company responsible for any of the liabilities allocated to DuPont and Dow, including those related to DowDuPont’s specialty products and/or materials science businesses, respectively, and those related to discontinued and/or divested businesses and operations of Historical Dow, which have been allocated to Dow. DuPont and/or Dow, as applicable, will agree to indemnify Corteva for such liabilities, but such indemnities may not be sufficient to protect the company against the full amount of such liabilities. In addition, DuPont and/or Dow, as applicable, may not be able to fully satisfy their indemnification obligations with respect to the liabilities the company incurs. Even if the company ultimately succeeds in recovering from DuPont and/or Dow, as applicable, any amounts for which the company is held liable, the company may be temporarily required to bear these losses itself. Each of these risks could negatively affect the company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Additionally, the company generally has assumed and is responsible for the payment of its share of (i) certain liabilities of DowDuPont relating to, arising out of or resulting from certain general corporate matters of DowDuPont, (ii) certain liabilities of Historical DuPont relating to, arising out of or resulting from general corporate matters of Historical DuPont and discontinued and/or divested businesses and operations of Historical DuPont, including its spin-off of Chemours, and (iii) certain separation expenses not otherwise allocated to DuPont or Dow (or allocated specifically to Corteva) pursuant to the Corteva Separation Agreement, and third parties could seek to hold Corteva responsible for DuPont’s or Dow’s share of any such liabilities. For more information, see Note 18 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the Consolidated Financial Statements and Part I - Item 3 - Legal Proceedings. DuPont and/or Dow, as applicable, will indemnify Corteva for their share of any such liabilities; however, such indemnities may not be sufficient to protect Corteva against the full amount of such liabilities, and/or DuPont and/or Dow may not be able to fully satisfy their respective indemnification obligations. In addition, even if the company ultimately succeeds in recovering from DuPont and/or Dow any amounts for which the company is held liable in excess of its agreed share, the company may be temporarily required to bear these losses itself and may not be able to fully insure itself to cover these risks. Each of these risks could materially affect the company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

The Separation and related transactions may expose Corteva to potential liabilities arising out of state and federal fraudulent conveyance laws

Although the company received a solvency opinion from an investment bank confirming that the company and DuPont were each adequately capitalized following the Distribution, the Separation could be challenged under various state and federal fraudulent conveyance laws. In connection with fraudulent conveyances or transfers are generally defined to include transfers made or obligations incurred with the actual intent to hinder, delay or defraud current or future creditors or transfers made or obligations incurred for less than reasonably equivalent value when the debtor was insolvent, or that rendered the debtor insolvent, inadequately capitalized or unable to pay its debts as they become due. Any unpaid creditor could claim that DuPont did not receive fair consideration or reasonably equivalent value in the Separation and Corteva Distribution, and that the Separation and Corteva Distribution left DuPont insolvent or with unreasonably small capital or that DuPont intended or believed it would incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they matured. Additionally, under its indemnity provisions of the Separation Agreement, the company could find its liabilities increased as a result of a court concluding that Historical

Part I