The safe and responsible use of our products is fundamental to our ambition of being a vital role in the food chain to safely feed the world and take care of our planet. Our stewardship program covers responsible agriculture, safe handling, and storage of our products. As farmers steward their land, so do our products – from discovery to eventual disposal. We aim to help growers intensify their yield sustainably and we manage our technologies responsibly.
Syngenta helps farmers across India increase their productivity so they can thereby feed, clothe and contribute to the wellbeing of the growing population. We work to ensure this is achieved in a sustainable way for the long-term future of our customers, the environment, and our business.
Taking responsibility for our products - from the production of seeds to the safe use, storage, and disposal of crop protection products by growers - is a priority at Syngenta and this helps to build strong relationships with our customers and other stakeholders. We support growers and applicators to increase their knowledge of the safe use of our products so that they can optimize their performance while minimizing potential risks.
Stewardship starts before the product comes to the market. Our products are only brought to market after thorough scientific evaluation to the highest standards and review of extensive data by regulators. From the earliest phase of our R&D process, we think holistically about new molecules and seed varieties – considering safety, environmental impact, and regulatory concerns, next to efficacy, at the earliest practicable stage. For every crop protection product that reaches the farmer’s field, almost 100,000 are tested but discarded because they do not meet efficacy or safety standards. When the products leave the control of Syngenta and are in the hands of our customers, they should know how to transport, store, mix, apply or grow and dispose of them without endangering themselves or the environment.
Stewardship has always been central to Syngenta's growth strategy. Throughout the product life cycle, from design to disposal, we are committed to responsible and ethical product management.
Syngenta runs “safe use” programs to help ensure that people can understand and follow labels and/or growing instructions in their environment and that they are aware of all the information needed to use these products safely. We advocate the use of appropriate personal protective equipment and have also trained medical staff at hospitals and poison control centers in the diagnosis and treatment of possible health problems from any accidental overexposure to pesticides.
Through our extension activities, we reach out to our growers to enrich their farming experience and showcase our best practices. Growers are educated on all aspects of agronomy, yield, productivity, seed & crop protection for various crops, and also HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) through regular farmer meetings/ training/demonstrations by Sales Unit Leads across our commercial units.
We also ensure that while maximizing farmers ' benefits we minimize potential risks. Training farmers on safe use is therefore of paramount importance and Syngenta focuses on key facets of stewardship such as application technology, capacity building, and medical stewardship.
Our ‘Safe Use’ training programs have aimed at sharing best practices while managing crop protection products. We firmly believe that for cultivation to be sustainable and beneficial for the grower, there is a need to adopt innovations, best practices, and proper container management.
Syngenta also runs dedicated application technology training programs for farmers by providing technical know-how to increase spray efficiency while reducing chemical losses, as well as helping to repair and maintain spray equipment.