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The company is subject to various legal proceedings, including, but not limited to, product liability, intellectual property, antitrust, commercial, property damage, personal injury, environmental and regulatory matters arising out of the normal course of its current businesses or legacy EIDP businesses unrelated to Corteva’s current businesses but allocated to Corteva as part of the Corteva Separation from DuPont.
Often these proceedings raise complex factual and legal issues, which are subject to risks and uncertainties and which could require significant amounts of the senior leadership team’s time. Litigation and other claims, along with regulatory proceedings, against the company could also materially adversely affect its operations, reputation, and/or result in the incurrence of unexpected expenses and liability. Even when the company believes liabilities are not expected to be material or the probability of loss or of an adverse unappealable final judgment is remote, the company may consider settlement of these matters, and may enter into settlement agreements, if it believes settlement is in the best interest of the company, including avoidance of future distraction and litigation defense cost, and its shareholders. Information regarding certain of these matters is set forth below and in Note 12 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements.
Litigation related to Corteva’s current businesses
Inari Disputes
On September 27, 2023, Corteva filed a lawsuit in Delaware federal court against Inari Agriculture, Inc. and Inari Agriculture N.V. (collectively “Inari”) asserting claims of Plant Variety Protection infringement, indirect patent infringement, breach of contract, and civil conversion. Corteva’s lawsuit alleges Inari illegally obtained various varieties of seed technologies from a seed depository and illegally transported them abroad for the purpose of performing gene editing on the technologies and then filing a patent for such technologies. In August 2024, the court denied Inari’s motion to dismiss the complaint. In September 2024, Corteva amended its complaint to include additional infringement claims with respect to soybean and corn technologies. In May 2025, the federal court dismissed Inari’s claims of sham litigation, patent misuse, and state-based deceptive trade practices claims. This May 2025 order was amended to reinstate Inari’s estoppel defense. The trial is expected to begin in September 2026.
Bayer Disputes
Corteva resolved its outstanding litigation with Bayer. Further information with respect to these proceedings and their respective resolution is set forth under “Bayer Disputes” in Note 12 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements.
Other Matters
Further information with respect to litigation matters related to Corteva's current business is set forth under “Federal Trade Commission Investigation” and “Lorsban® Lawsuits” in Note 12 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements.
Litigation related to legacy EIDP businesses unrelated to Corteva’s current businesses
As discussed below and in Note 12 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements, certain of the environmental proceedings and litigation allocated to Corteva as part of the Separation from DuPont relate to the legacy EIDP businesses, including their use of PFOA, which, for purposes of this report, means collectively perfluorooctanoic acid and its salts, including the ammonium salt and does not distinguish between the two forms, and PFAS, which means per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, including PFOA, PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid), GenX and other perfluorinated chemicals and compounds (“PFCs”). This litigation includes multiple natural resource damage lawsuits across the United States filed by municipalities and alleging PFOA contamination, as well as, lawsuits by four municipalities in the Netherlands alleging contamination of land and groundwater resulting from the emission of PFOA and GenX by Corteva, DuPont and Chemours.
In addition to the matters set forth in Note 12 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements, on March 25, 2019, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”) issued a Statewide PFAS Directive to several companies, including Chemours, DuPont, and EIDP. The Directive seeks information relating to the use and environmental release of PFAS and PFAS-replacement chemicals at and from two former EIDP sites in New Jersey, Chambers Works and Parlin, and a funding source for costs related to the NJDEP’s investigation of PFAS issues and PFAS testing and remediation. This matter will be resolved upon the court’s approval of the NJ Statewide Settlement described in Note 12 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements.
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Other Environmental Proceedings
The company believes it is remote that the following matters will have a material impact on its financial position, liquidity or results of operations. The matters below involve the potential for $1 million or more in monetary fines and are included per Item 103(3)(c)(iii) of Regulation S-K of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Related to Corteva’s current businesses
Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, AltEn Facility
The EPA and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (“NDEE”) are pursuing investigations, response and removal actions, litigation and enforcement action related to an ethanol plant located near Mead, Nebraska and owned and operated by AltEn LLC (“AltEn”). Corteva is one of six seed companies, who were customers of AltEn (collectively, the “Facility Response Group”), participating in the NDEE’s Voluntary Cleanup Program to address certain interim remediation needs at the site. Further information with respect to these proceedings is set forth under “Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, AltEn Facility” in Note 12 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements.
AZ Concordia Chile Site
On February 9, 2026, a water reservoir at the AZ Concordia site overflowed during a refilling, resulting in the collapse of part of the embankment and the release of all stored water beyond Corteva’s facilities resulting in flooding and other damage impacting government-managed infrastructure and wastewater systems. Corteva is working with local authorities on the resolution of matters related to this incident.
Related to legacy EIDP businesses unrelated to Corteva’s current businesses
Divested Neoprene Facility, La Place, Louisiana - EPA Compliance Inspection
In 2016, the EPA conducted a focused compliance investigation at the Denka Performance Elastomer LLC (“Denka”) neoprene manufacturing facility in La Place, Louisiana. EIDP sold the neoprene business, including this manufacturing facility, to Denka in the fourth quarter of 2015. In the spring of 2017, the EPA, the DOJ, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, EIDP and Denka began discussions relating to the inspection conclusions and allegations of noncompliance arising under the Clean Air Act, including leak detection and repair. In March 2025, the EPA and DOJ dismissed the action against Denka and EIDP. Following the dismissal, a private action mirroring the government’s original claims was filed, as well as adding allegations of violations of the U.S. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and U.S. Clean Water Act. Under the Separation Agreement, DuPont is defending and indemnifying the company in this matter.
New Jersey Directive Pompton Lakes
On March 27, 2019, the NJDEP issued to Chemours and EIDP a Natural Resource Damages Directive relating to chemical contamination (non-PFAS) at and around EIDP’s former Pompton Lakes facility in New Jersey. The Directive alleges that this contamination has harmed the natural resources of New Jersey. It seeks $125,000 as reimbursement for the cost of preparing a natural resource damages assessment, which the State will use to determine the extent of such damage and the amount it expects to seek to restore the affected natural resources to their pre-damage state. This matter will be resolved upon the court’s approval of the NJ Statewide Settlement described in Note 12 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities, to the interim Consolidated Financial Statements.
EPA CERCLA Claim
In April 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) also designated PFOA and PFAS as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”). In November 2024, the EPA issued a letter to DuPont, EIDP and Corteva asserting CERCLA claims related to alleged PFAS contamination from six historical and present DuPont and Chemours sites and providing a demand for cleanup and restoration costs. In September 2025, the EPA announced its intent to retain the designation of PFOA and PFOS as CERCLA hazardous substances. Discussions among the parties are ongoing.
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