content_image/161854.jpg
## Building markets 

Farmers must contend with the risks of increasingly volatile markets. The value of a good harvest can be undone by price volatility. 

The availability of market information, for example on crop prices, can be increased through knowledge sharing systems. In India we provide information on pest and disease management by mobile phone to 2 million subscribers, in partnership with Nokia Life Tools. In Brazil, our NUCOFFEE ®  initiative (see page 29) connects growers and buyers to give farmers a fairer deal. These are just examples of what can be done; there is no single solution, and both companies and governments have a role to play. 

## Valuing farm work 

Around the world, young people are leaving farming in search of higher income, better healthcare and education, and the urban way of life. This often causes labor shortages and rising wage costs for growers. Syngenta technologies increase farm profitability and improve labor conditions on the farm. They can also encourage the development of a more highly-qualified labor force, which increases the value proposition of rural employment. For example, plantations adopting the PLENE ®  technology (see page 26) were able to replace the previous labor-intensive method of planting sugar cane. Syngenta worked together with the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association UNICA and the Brazilian government to retrain the workers affected for higher-value jobs. 

<img src='content_image/161854.jpg'>

The long-term solution to labor shortages is to make farming more profitable and attractive to young people, and to build strong rural economies where agriculture is seen as an attractive career path. Governments, non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and industry must work together through policies, regulatory frameworks and investments to bolster the agricultural sector. 

Farm work must also be safe and healthy. We set strict health and safety standards to protect employees on our suppliers’ farms, and work with growers and workers to protect their health, safety and the environment when they use our products. 

## Community development 

Rural communities need socio-economic development to underpin a healthy agricultural sector. For example, restricted access and storage constraints exacerbate post-harvest losses, which can reach 50 percent in some areas. In Africa, where less than half the rural population lives close to an all-season road, transportation can account for 50–60 percent 1 of total marketing and distribution costs. Worldwide, many rural communities lack other basic infrastructure. We can play a part in addressing these problems, but only concerted action by all interested parties will build successful rural economies. 

1 The World Bank, world development report 2008; Agriculture for Development , p. 119 

## Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture: Improving the crop that feeds Ethiopia 

An Ethiopian researcher at the University of Bern, Switzerland, supported by the Syngenta Foundation, is leading efforts to raise the yields of tef. This cereal is the staple diet of some 50 million Ethiopians. Tef traditionally has long, weak stalks and is easily damaged by wind and rain. The Bern research team has successfully developed shorter lines. Colleagues in Ethiopia are now evaluating these in the field, crossed with local high-yielding varieties. “The initial results look promising,” says SFSA’s Ian Barker. “This crop offers huge potential for further sustainable intensification.” 

Left: Dr.ZerihunTadele Institute for Plant Sciences University of Bern 

More online www.syngentafoundation.org 

