Bayer's commitments to transparency: Opening our science to build public trust

Now more than ever, agriculture is one of humanity’s best solutions to feed a growing population while also caring for our planet. But it will take all of us, working together to overcome some of our world’s greatest challenges. It takes public trust and open dialogue surrounding science-based agricultural solutions to help build a sustainable future. Bayer Crop Science is committed to developing safe and sustainable agricultural tools and practices for farmer customers worldwide. While we meet and often exceed the highest international safety standards for our products, communicating our efforts to the general public can be challenging due to complexity of our work and eroding trust in science. Industry-sponsored research can be viewed with suspicion by some, which makes promoting acceptance of industry-sponsored science and building public trust through transparency crucial. To address this issue, Bayer Crop Science voluntarily initiated an industry-leading transparent communication initiative in 2017, providing public access to the safety study reports of our crop protection. The Bayer Crop Science Transparency website has seen tens of thousands of unique visits and document downloads from a diverse range of academic, journalistic, and private individuals and organizations. In 2020, Bayer extended its commitment to transparency through the OpenLabs program, allowing the public to virtually observe our laboratory and field studies to test the safety of new crop protection products or uses. In this presentation, we will share our experience and lessons learned in building public trust through transparency.