Monheim, March 31, 2017- Sustainable agriculture is possible. It has been demonstrated by the Capurso family, recently opening the gates of their farm, Moranda, the first Bayer ForwardFarm in Italy. The farm is located a few kilometers from Verona in Valpantena, literally the 'Valley of the Gods', one of the most famous areas of cultivation of grapes and production of excellent wines such as Amarone, Ripasso and Valpolicella.

Bayer ForwardFarming is a global knowledge platform, and it is planting roots in Italy today. Through collaboration with experts from Bayer and other specialized partners, the farmer taking part in the project combines his experience and knowledge of the relevant agricultural reality with the most advanced tools and the most suitable technologies with the aim of achieving economic, social and environmental sustainability.

'Through Bayer ForwardFarming we create places, practices and perspectives that will increase the exchange of knowledge between operators, to highlight the benefits of innovation and sustainable agriculture improvements and to facilitate communication with stakeholders at all levels of the food chain', said Bernd Naaf, Head of Business Affairs and Communications at Crop Science, a division of Bayer.

Run by the Capurso family since 1896 and handed down from generation to generation, the Moranda farm proved to be the ideal center to show the value of innovation to support the experience of the grower in the development of sustainable Italian wine.

'We chose grapes as a key crop for the Bayer Italian ForwardFarm for the strategic importance of wine in Italy and the increasing attention of this sector towards sustainability,' affirmed Remy Courbon, Head of Customer Marketing at Crop Science in Italy. 'We have chosen the Capurso family because they believe as we do that producing sustainably is the engine for agriculture of the future.'

Giovanni Capurso with his daughters Camilla and Selene, along with Bayer and other project partners, will lead tours of the vineyard for guests. Walking through twelve steps, they demonstrate how to produce grapes, intended to become excellent wines, in a sustainable manner thanks to passion and professionalism put in every day's work. Sustainable practices from the use of precision farming in targeted pest control application to achieve integrated pest management without waste, to the application of new personal protective equipment and systems for proper distribution, disposal and water management to maximize safety for people and the surrounding environment, will be shown. In addition, guests will learn about specific periodic activities that will monitor the welfare of environment and biodiversity, to validate efficacy of the practices being implemented.

'Thanks to the support of Bayer ForwardFarming, we can enhance our knowledge and apply the technologies to our needs to raise healthy grapes of high quality without waste and respecting the land where my family has been working for over 120 years', concluded Azienda Agricola Moranda owner Giovanni Capurso.

The first Bayer ForwardFarm in Italy is a clear example of how sharing experience and innovation in practice with others in the industry will facilitate the exchange of knowledge and dialogue across the supply chain to the end user.

Other partners of the initiative include Braglia, Bulzoni Mechanics, Mybatec, Pessl Instruments and the World Biodiversity Association. An important step in sustainability for the Italian agricultural sector is in line with Bayer's mission 'Science For A Better Life'.

Link to the official launch event:
http://live.cropscience.bayer.com/Event/Bayer_ForwardFarming_Farm_Launch_Azienda_Agricola_Moranda

For more information, go to:www.forwardfarming.com

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2016, the Group employed around 115,200 people and had sales of EUR 46.8 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.7 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go towww.bayer.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website atwww.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Bayer AG published this content on 31 March 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 31 March 2017 12:11:18 UTC.

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