Letter from the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer
Support for sustainable agriculture lies at the heart of everything we do, and we are fully committed to play a key role in expanding the capacity of agriculture. To achieve this, we depend on the talents and dedication of our people who enthusiastically search for and find new solutions.
At no time has the need for sustainable agricultural products been greater. By 2030, the world’s population is expected to rise to more than eight billion people. That is two billion more on the planet than today. Global calorie demand is expected to increase by more than 50 percent. This is attributable to a shift towards a meat-based diet of a more affluent population in emerging markets, which adds to the pressure on grain production.
This poses an enormous challenge for agriculture, because there is only a finite area available for farmland. Arable land will not increase at the same rate as calorie demand. Climate change brings with it further pressures – drought, flooding and erosion – all of which threaten fertile farmland. Furthermore, agriculture relies heavily on the availability of water, an increasingly scarce resource. Its use has to be managed sustainably.
The big question is: how can we continue to meet the ever-growing demand for food and renewable raw materials in the years ahead? Moreover, how can we do this in a way that conserves natural resources and biodiversity for future generations?
The answer, certainly for Syngenta, is to find new ways to help growers around the world increase the yield and quality of their harvests. Support for sustainable agriculture lies at the heart of everything we do and we are fully committed to playing a key role in expanding the capacity of agriculture.
To achieve this, we depend on the talents and dedication of our people who enthusiastically search for and find new solutions. One excellent example of their creativity and innovation is the broad range and high standard of entries for our Syngenta Awards program. In 2007, we received more than 830 submissions from all over the world, nearly 20 percent more than 2006. Our Corporate Responsibility Report and the Annual Review feature a number of these stories. Applying new technologies demands responsibility and clearly-defined values. That is why Syngenta has principles and commitments to guide our behavior in all areas of our business.
We have established robust management structures and processes that encourage our employees to do business in an ethical way. In 2007, we elevated the Corporate Responsibility Committee to Board level, emphasizing the importance of its work.
This committee is supported by a panel of senior managers with specific corporate responsibility tasks. The panel has established company-wide data collection systems, and its members are in charge of monitoring and reporting performance against agreed objectives and metrics. The panel’s continuing role is to propose standards, set objectives and ensure that appropriate training is made available.
Our corporate responsibility performance continues to improve. We are pleased that this is recognized by external stakeholders, for example through our continued inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices and the FTSE4Good index.
We recognize that some stakeholders may express concerns about certain aspects of our business, and we value a constructive dialog with them. We condemn any use of violence. This is why we were shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic events in 2007 at our research site near Cascavel in Brazil. This site has been repeatedly targeted and illegally occupied by members of a political movement. When they again occupied the site in October 2007, a third-party security guard and one of the protesters were killed during the violent confrontation that ensued. Syngenta had instructed the security company at Cascavel that its guards should be unarmed at all times. No Syngenta employees were present at the time of the incident. Syngenta fully supported the investigation. Read more on the protest against research at Cascavel, Brazil.
We continue to work with our customers and growers worldwide to ensure the safe use and storage of our crop protection products. In 2007, Syngenta trained around 3.2 million farmers on safe use of crop protection products. We estimate that for every individual trained, key messages reach a further three or four people as knowledge is shared within local communities. See the safe use section for the encouraging results of a three-year global study of the practices of over 9,000 pesticide users in 26 countries.
We hope you will enjoy reading about our progress in contributing to sustainable development. This is a vast subject area. This website focuses on what Syngenta does to provide a safe, healthy and opportunity-filled workplace for our people, the development of innovative products and product stewardship, and the protection of the environment. The Action Plan summarizes our progress.
We look forward to your comments and suggestions on how we can continue to improve.
Martin Taylor, Chairman
