Syngenta to boost Agro input

 Published in the times of Zambia newspaper on 5 September

By 2050, the World’s population would have increased by 34% to 9 billion people increasing demand for food.

To feed this population it is estimated that agriculture production will have to increase by 70 %. Much of this increase will be from developing countries.

Syngenta last month launched a Good Growth Plan (GGP) to address critical global food security challenges for the planet and its people.

 GGP is an ambitious plan that will have an element of ownership by small farmers and agriculture stakeholders. 

The launch was in Brussels and saw people from different sectors in the agriculture world attend the launch.

The GGP has specific, ambitious, and measurable targets which focus on boosting resource efficiency, rejuvenating ecosystems, and strengthening rural communities.

Their commitments are six fold and seek to change the face of agriculture globally without using more land, water, or inputs.

 To rescue more farmland they believe they can do this through improving the fertility of 10 million hectares of farmland on the brink of degradation.

In these times of climate change and extreme land degradation it is vital to recognise the need for conservation.

 In the last few years there has been an outcry by small holder farmers about how they are marginalised.

Syngenta is committed to helping 20 million smallholder farmers enabling them to increase productivity by 50 percent.

With advancements in food production there is nee d to ensure labourers are safe.

 According to Syngenta they will do this by looking after every worker and  striving for fair labour conditions throughout our entire supply chain network.

Syngenta will also help people to stay safe and train 20 million farm workers on labour safety, especially in developing countries.

They have also committed to helping biodiversity flourish by enhancing it on 5 million hectares of farmland.

Zambia will also benefit from the GGP because Syngenta has added the nation to its large family of over 90 nations present.

John Atkin Chief Operating Officer, Syngenta confirmed that the organisation has expanded into Zambia by buying into one of Zambia’s prime seed companies, MRI Seed Zambia Limited.

John Atkin

 Syngenta Regional Director of Europe, Africa, and Middle East Region (EAME region) Jon Parr says that the company has high ambitions for Zambia.

"Regarding Zambia we have an ambition to build a billion dollar business in Africa; we currently have over 700 people employed in Africa. 

We wanted to have a play in the most important crops and here its corn and MRI represents a lifetime of work.

They have a fantastic germplasm besides we weren’t present in Zambia so it is a great platform for us to breed from and localize the seed into other parts of Africa while also taking Agriculture further in Africa,”  MrParr said.

There is need to engage small holder farmers and provide them an entry in the agriculture industry.

Dr Brave Ndisale, Malawian Ambassador Extraordinary, and Plenipotentiary to the European communities and to seven European Countries including Belguim and France made a key note address at the launch.

“We need to make agriculture attractive to the youth by bringing profitability to farming. 

Therefore, there is need to partner with the Government, Private Sector, and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Africa.

Malawi is introducing key drives to agriculture by making farmers view it as a business with modern technology,” said Dr Ndisale.

She added that Malawi has also pushed their conservation farming in order to maintain soil fertility and driving DOUBLE CROPPING.

 We need to increase access to markets for Africans because they have been spectators for a very long time.

We have to benefit from the value chain and the benefits should be beneficial in terms of infrastructure and road networks.

Malawi has seen a steady and fast rise in terms of its food production from importing maize to having bumper harvests.

Dr Ndisale attributes it to political will which put investment in agriculture research as outlined in the Maputo Declaration.

“We need to invest in Agriculture targeted input subsidy for the poorest small holder farmers.

It is unfortunate that African farmer’s revenues have not increased despite demand increasing. Farming should not just provide food security but must also reduce poverty,” she observed.

Her views were reiterated by Parr who explained that the GGP will be beneficial to Zambia because it comprises small holder farmers and it is the organisations' ambition to raise their output by 50%.

“We can also learn from Zambia in terms of its' strides regarding Conservation farming and its advanced germplasm which we plan to export.”

He added that the Organisation has a team at Syngenta dedicated to new markets and that they are dedicated to talking to retailers and suppliers to find out who is interested in investing in which part of world.

“We want to find robust ways of linking farmers with suppliers. We also need to explain our technology to young people and find the right partners,” said Parr.

Atkins explained that you can get more to the farmer by modernising streams such as increasing input and improving routes to market because farmers need a support mechanism.

The biggest inflations in Africa affect food and it is also vital to look at ways of enhancing the use of technology used in producing major crops towards use in minority crops.

There is need to produce food in the right places and by using the right people to produce the food said Ariel Brunner Head of European Policy at Bird Life International.

“What the industry needs is sound policies and changing productivity. 

Policy changing is not easy but 30 percent of globally produced food is wasted. It is never eaten and yet somewhere a child is starving," said Brunner.

He added that our consumption patterns have to change, we eat too much meat and sugar while dairy products are also not good.

Brunner also said the GGP is a very comprehensive and ambitious plan but Atkin added that this plan comes with measurable targets for 2020.

Focus on resource efficiency, the environment, and rural communities was without doubt a huge commitment that Syngenta is making.

Atkin says the Company needs to take their business and do a better job at running a company.

“Africa’s 80 million smallholder farmers can help turn the continent into a major food exporter but most do not have access to education, technology or markets and that there is  a need to increase their access.

20% of Europe’s soil is eroded and over 3 million hectares of habitat has been lost in Europe.”

The new food frontier is Africa and perhaps Syngenta might make it happen.