Syngenta to Address Global Agricultural Challenges at WEF
19 January 2026, Switzerland: As farmers around the world confront unprecedented economic, geopolitical and environmental pressures, the global agricultural sector continues to face contraction. A sharp decline in the number of active farms and rising levels of financial stress are underscoring an urgent need for innovation and technology to build a more resilient and sustainable food system.
“Farmers today are navigating one of the most complex periods in modern agriculture, facing pressures that demand urgent action and real solutions,” said Jeff Rowe, Chief Executive Officer, Syngenta Group. “We have a critical window of opportunity to reverse troubling trends by ensuring that every farmer – regardless of farm size or technical background – can access the transformative power of AI and digital tools.”
Rowe emphasised that the true potential of digital agriculture lies at the intersection of technology and agronomic expertise. “When we combine AI and digital tools with deep agricultural expertise, we unlock genuine potential to revolutionise farming. But technology alone isn’t enough. Policymakers and businesses must work together to demonstrate how AI can deliver tangible results, simplify farming operations and dispel misconceptions that farmers must be technology experts to use and benefit from these tools. Building trust is equally essential – through peer validation, transparency around data use and outcomes that farmers can see and measure in their own fields.”
A recent research study conducted by IPSOS in partnership with Syngenta highlights a widening digital divide within agriculture. While larger farms are rapidly adopting advanced AI and digital solutions, smaller and older farmers risk being left behind. The findings underline the need for coordinated action to ensure that technological progress benefits all. Rather than a constraint, the study points to an opportunity to make agricultural technology more inclusive and unlock value across every segment of the farming community.
Syngenta’s Cropwise platform is already deploying AI-driven solutions designed to empower farmers at every scale. The Cropwise Grower GenAI chatbot is currently supporting more than two million farmers across India, providing 24/7 multilingual agronomy assistance. Farmers can speak or type queries, or upload images of affected crops, to receive instant analysis, disease diagnosis and product recommendations with up to 95 percent accuracy. Powered by advanced natural language processing and voice recognition, the system understands local dialects and delivers location-specific advice that previously required expensive field visits or call centre support.
Further expanding its digital capabilities, Syngenta is preparing to launch a regional predictive intelligence system for pest and disease outbreaks in selected markets. This next-generation alert system integrates real-time scouting data with advanced risk modelling and geospatial AI to forecast outbreak probability and geographic spread. By enabling early, preventative action, the solution allows farmers to address risks before they reach their fields, rather than reacting after damage has occurred. These innovations are designed to simplify farming operations and make advanced agricultural insights accessible to all.
Positioning itself as an ecosystem enabler, Syngenta is advancing digital and AI equity in agriculture by making solutions affordable, aspirational and accessible across farmer segments. The company is opening its Cropwise digital platform to third-party developers to co-innovate and address agriculture’s technology divide, while adhering to robust data governance standards. Syngenta does not provide access to individual grower data without explicit owner consent and maintains a comprehensive compliance programme aligned with applicable data protection laws and regulations.
At the World Economic Forum in January 2026, Syngenta is championing collaborative approaches and policy frameworks to expand access to agricultural technology and accelerate sustainable farming globally. On 21 January 2026, the Financial Times, in collaboration with Syngenta, will convene a roundtable on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos. The discussion will bring together global business leaders, senior policymakers and leading academics to examine how AI can be applied responsibly across the food value chain and to identify pathways for translating technological potential into scalable, long-term impact.
Also Read: Beyond the Grain: How Rice-Field Ponds are Forging Climate Resilient Livelihoods in Cambodia
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