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1  IAASTD 2008 Agriculture at a Crossroads 

2  FAO ResourceSTAT, faostat.fao.org 

## Growing more on preserved land 

I’ve moved from producing 400 bags per hectare to 600. I’m saving money and producing more thanks to Syngenta, their products and advice. 

Miguel Gil Potato grower Boyacá, Colombia 

More online www.syngenta.com/ar2011 

## Improving farm productivity 

Consumers worldwide want more food with better quality and greater variety. To meet this demand, farmers need a variety of tools and techniques: high-quality seeds, water-efficient technologies, nutrients, insect and weed management, and soil conservation. Our contribution has to go beyond providing individual products: we must integrate them into optimized solutions and protocols, and enable farmers to use them productively and profitably. 

Large-scale farmers have traditionally been receptive to new technologies and have had the resources to invest in them. As a result, they generate 75 percent 1  of the world’s agricultural output today. Looking ahead, another step change in farm productivity will only be achieved if the small growers who farm nearly 40 percent 2  of the world’s arable land also gain access to new technologies. We are committed to continue helping farmers – large and small – to enhance productivity. 

New business models that provide tailored solutions and access to markets and finance provide one part of the solution. Education and training provides another. However, to give smaller farmers more support we need to be a partner, not just a supplier. 

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## Enabling the right choices 

The regulatory environment is tightening. This poses dilemmas for regulators and for innovators like Syngenta: if regulation is driven by political pressures rather than objective science, there is a risk of denying growers crucial tools in the drive for food security. 

We need enabling and transparent regulations that make safe new technologies available to all farmers. All chemical products must be handled with care to ensure environmental and human safety. Throughout the development of a chemical product, we work to minimize its risk profile. Once it has been accepted for registration and sale, we work with vendors and growers to help handle, store and use it safely. 

## Accelerating innovation 

The challenge for us is to innovate rapidly and efficiently – not only to develop new products, but also to adapt them effectively to the varying needs of farmers around the world, large and small. New techniques such as computer- based crop modeling are helping us to accelerate the pace. 

Efficient and fair intellectual property protection helps to stimulate and incentivize R&D investment. In return, we recognize a responsibility to share knowledge and innovation. In 2011, Syngenta launched the first system to disseminate our patents on native traits in vegetables for the goal of improved plant breeding. 

