Digging deeper

From melting glaciers to dry fields, climate change poses intense threats to food production.

What are the solutions?

For a ski champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, mountains are a second home. It’s no surprise that the melting mountain glaciers caused by rising temperatures have set his alarm bells ringing.

Since becoming our Syngenta Group Ambassador in December 2020, Aleksander has gained knowledge about the agricultural industry and the challenges it is facing to safely feed the world’s growing populations.
He has even experienced producing his own food with the My Garden project.
But with the increasing concern of climate change on his mind, Aleksander has many more questions…

How is climate change impacting the food we eat? How can we produce 50% more food while hitting the world’s climate ambitions? How can innovation in agriculture be part of the solution? And what does regenerative agriculture actually mean?

Through the Digging Deeper series, Aleksander wants to hear the answers directly from the experts and to use his position to raise awareness about global food security. 

Seeding success for sustainable food production

In this episode, Aleksander meets Swiss farmer, Michael Suter, and Fenna Kester from Syngenta Seedcare EAME, to understand how the right seed treatment can make crops more resilient and help farmers ensure that each seed planted results in a healthy plant.

"It's like giving our plants a head start in a challenging race. With a good or a fast start, it's easier to succeed. The seed treatment will help our plants get better with the weather conditions, pests, or diseases."
Michael Suter,
Operations manager and farmer, Suter Steinhof Farm

Transforming seed treatment for sustainable farming

In this episode, Aleksander embarks on a journey to unveil the remarkable potential of innovations in seed treatment, particularly the groundbreaking utilization of biologicals, in reshaping the landscape of farming. Join Aleksander as he delves deeper with Fenna Kester from Syngenta Seedcare EAME and Swiss farmer, Michael Suter, into the realm of seed treatment and how it can contribute to a more sustainable way of producing food.  

"We are now incorporating biological products in our overall seed treatment offer because our main goal is that more and more growers adopt regenerative agricultural practices. "
Fenna Kester,
Strategy & Business Development Lead, Syngenta Seedcare EAME

Tackling climate change

In this episode, Aleksander reaches out to Syngenta Group’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Daniel Vennard. They meet on what’s left of the Vorab Glacier in the Glarus Alps in Switzerland. After learning more about who Daniel is and why sustainability matters to him, Aleksander digs deeper into some of agriculture’s biggest challenges.

How is the industry and Syngenta Group tackling climate change and food security? Which practices can enhance food productivity?

"The key lever for change is producing more food from the same land. And the only way we are going to do that is by helping farmers become more productive"
Daniel Vennard,
Chief Sustainability Officer at Syngenta Group

Driving innovation

The discussion continues against the dramatic backdrop of the Vorab Glacier in Switzerland; a stark reminder of the drastic consequences of recent weather extremes. Aleksander digs one level deeper into how innovation in agriculture can be part of the solution to creating a greener, healthier and safer planet.

How can technology help farmers be more sustainable? How can new breeds of vegetables support in reducing food waste, and what role does data play?

"Our goal in the coming years is to figure out how can we improve our impact on nature, but also at the same time become even more of a solution to climate change and food security."
Daniel Vennard,
Chief Sustainability Officer at Syngenta Group

Shaping the future of food

Thought For Food, Christine Gould. They dig deeper into what is needed to accelerate the efforts to feed the world’s growing population sustainably and the great potential of the next generation of people and technologies.

What mindset shift must occur to find the right solutions? What role does the next generation play in taking these innovations forward? What are the benefits of technologies such as gene-edited seeds? 

"We have the largest youth population alive of all time. They’re able to combine technologies and sustainable practices to do things that have never before been possible. And when you add in their digital savviness and prowess of using the most cutting-edge technologies, you see that they are changing the game and making regenerative agriculture all about the future."
Christine Gould,
Founder and CEO of Thought For Food

Special mini series

A dialogue that matters with agricultural experts

Aleksander reaches out to agricultural experts Nick Haddad, biology professor at Michigan State University, Mike Wironen, Director of Corporate Engagement for Food & Water at The Nature Conservancy and Liz Hunt, Head of Sustainable and Responsible Business at Syngenta North America. Aleksander asks how they are tackling the pressing issue of climate change, its far-reaching impact on our planet, and how soil management practices can help mitigate Climate Change.

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