Global agriculture technology company Corteva (NYSE: CTVA) has announced plans to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies — one focused on crop protection and the other on seeds. The move, approved unanimously by the company’s board of directors, is intended to allow each business to pursue more focused strategies and growth opportunities.

Under the plan, Corteva’s current Crop Protection business will become New Corteva, while its Seed business will form a new company referred to as SpinCo. New Corteva will concentrate on crop protection and biologicals, while SpinCo will build on its advanced genetics platform and well-known Pioneer brand. The separation is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory and board approvals.

Corteva CEO Chuck Magro, who will become CEO of SpinCo following the split, said the decision reflects changes in both markets. “The seed and crop protection markets have evolved, and as a result, we see the opportunities ahead for both companies diverging — this is the right time to act to stay ahead of the market,” Magro said.

New Corteva will be led by current board chair Greg Page, who will serve as its chair after the transition. The company said each business will benefit from greater strategic focus, operational flexibility, and capital allocation tailored to its growth model.

New Corteva is expected to continue advancing differentiated crop protection products, including biologicals, one of the industry’s fastest-growing market segments. SpinCo will focus on innovation in genetics, including hybrid wheat, biofuels, and gene editing, supported by its existing Pioneer, Dairyland Seed, and Brevant brands.

The company reaffirmed its full-year 2025 guidance and said the separation will not affect its 2027 value framework. Corteva expects the transition to create two “farmer-centric” companies, each positioned for long-term growth.

Global agtech leader Corteva has announced plans to split into two publicly traded companies — a move that could reshape how the industry organizes around innovation, sustainability, and shareholder expectations. Under the plan, Corteva will separate its Crop Protection and Seed divisions into distinct entities: New Corteva, focused on crop protection and next-generation biologicals; and SpinCo, centered on advanced genetics and the legacy Pioneer seed business. The transaction, approved unanimously by Corteva’s board, is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.

Corteva, formed through the 2019 merger of Dow and DuPont’s agricultural divisions, had positioned itself as a “pure-play agriculture company” spanning seed, chemistry, and digital tools. The new split marks a pivot back toward specialization — two companies, each “farmer-centric” but with different growth models and technology bets. CEO Chuck Magro, who will lead SpinCo, described the move as a natural evolution: “The seed and crop protection markets have evolved… this is the right time to act to stay ahead of the market.”

The Crop Protection arm — New Corteva — will continue emphasizing operational excellence and differentiated technologies such as biologicals, one of the fastest-growing segments in global agriculture. The Seed business — SpinCo — will lean into advanced genetics, out-licensing, and innovations like hybrid wheat, gene editing, and biofuel feedstocks.

For observers of regenerative and sustainable agriculture, the separation raises deeper questions about how large ag companies evolve within the transition to more ecological systems. New Corteva’s focus on biologicals hints at a strategic pivot toward lower-impact crop protection — aligning with market and regulatory pressure to reduce chemical reliance. Yet its language remains steeped in “operational excellence” and “shareholder returns.” SpinCo, anchored by Pioneer’s breeding legacy, could become a key player in genetics for climate resilience — or double down on proprietary traits that perpetuate input dependency, depending on its strategic choices post-split.

While the move is framed around shareholder value, it also mirrors a broader trend: legacy agribusinesses are reorganizing to compete in a diversified, decarbonizing food system. The separation could make each entity more agile — or more exposed — as regenerative demands accelerate across markets and policy.

The Corteva announcement underscores several system-level signals: Biologicals go mainstream. What was once a niche market is now a structural driver in ag innovation portfolios. Corporate unbundling as transformation strategy. Ag majors are repositioning to pursue distinct growth logics — tech-driven versus nature-based — while managing investor expectations. Narrative tension persists. “Operational excellence” and “sustainable innovation” remain uneasy partners in corporate language. The regenerative transition will likely test how these terms coexist in practice.

The split is expected to finalize by late 2026, pending regulatory and board approvals. Both companies will carry investment-grade aspirations, dedicated R&D pipelines, and a commitment to “farmer-centric innovation.” For farmers, investors, and sustainability watchers alike, the next 18 months will reveal whether this restructuring helps Corteva’s legacy businesses lead — or lag — in agriculture’s regenerative future.