Commitments

With less than two percent of the population in Canada coming from an agricultural background, now more than ever, we need to share the importance of farming and our bio-economy. Continual learning, awareness, and research are central to meeting the challenges agriculture faces.

Examples of our partnerships in this area include:

Post-Secondary Awards and Scholarships

Syngenta funds scholarships and awards in sustainable agriculture with Canadian learning institutions. All scholarships are managed by the corresponding learning institution and details can be found on their website. For a complete list of scholarships and awards, check our most current Giving Back to Agriculture Report.

Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC)

Syngenta is a founding partner of AITC-Canada as they establish a national organization that supports learners and educators to increase their understanding of the complexities of and importance of agriculture.

Agricultural Leadership Programs

Syngenta supports the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (AALP), where participants spend 18-months developing their leadership potential to enhance the Canadian agriculture industry.

Canadian Golf Superintendents National Conference

Syngenta is a lead sponsor of the annual Canadian Golf Superintendents Association National Conference Educational Program.

4-H in Canada

Syngenta is a member of the Canadian 4-H Council and annual supporter of 4-H programming in Canada. This includes the popular Proud to Bee a 4-H’er initiative.

To be sustainable, agriculture must create economic value and contribute to healthy ecosystems and strong communities.

Some examples of our initiatives in this area include:

The Good Growth Plan

Syngenta is helping to address the planet’s major food security and sustainability challenges with four important commitments in The Good Growth Plan. Read more.

Operation Pollinator

Operation Pollinator is a Syngenta program focused on research and partnerships to promote the health and well-being of bees and other pollinators given their essential role in agriculture and nature. The program’s mandate is to support activities that enhance biodiversity, habitat and other practical initiatives that contribute to healthy pollinator populations.

Some of the ways we are doing this is through partnerships with golf courses to transform out-of-play areas into improved habitats for bees and other pollinators. Read more.

Another example is the Proud to Bee a 4-H’er initiative, where 4-H club members learn about bees and other pollinators by planting and tending pollinator-friendly gardens. Read more.

Canadian farmers are stewards of the land. Syngenta supports responsible food production, including the use of its products together with other initiatives that contribute to on-farm stewardship.

Examples of our partnerships in this area include:

‘Dress for Success’, a safety video

Syngenta worked with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) to produce and distribute the safety video ‘Dress for Success’ illustrating how to use personal protective equipment when handling pesticides.

CleanFARMS

Syngenta participates in industry stewardship programs through CleanFARMS which manages crop protection products throughout their lifecycle. This non-profit organization partners with ag retailers and municipalities to collect empty commercial pesticide containers from farms and dispose of obsolete or otherwise unwanted agricultural pesticides.

Every day, nearly one billion people go to bed hungry and even more are malnourished. This figure could rise with the global population expected to grow to greater than nine billion by 2050.

Examples of our partnerships in this area include:

Food Banks Canada – Rural Support Program

Syngenta is a founding supporter of the Rural Support Program with Food Banks Canada, which helps rural communities overcome challenges in accessing food donations.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank

Syngenta provides seeds and crop protection products to Canadian farmers who grow crops in support of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Foodgrains Bank ranks among the largest private food aid providers in the world.

Giving in the communities where we live and work is led through employee-driven initiatives.

As part of our Giving Back to Agriculture program, Syngenta employees are encouraged to give back in their communities. Field-based employees have a community investment budget to support initiatives that benefit local communities and initiatives. Employee’s personal donations are also eligible for a reimbursement program.

Syngenta employees are also encouraged to take one paid day off annually to volunteer with a community or charitable organization of their choice.

Examples of our partnerships in this area include:

United Way

Syngenta employees donate to their local United Way campaign through payroll deductions and fundraising events. Syngenta matches all employee donations annually.

Guelph Wish Fund for Children

Syngenta employees in the Guelph office have made Guelph Wish their charity of choice, helping grant a wish each year.

Holiday Adopt-a-family program

The Syngenta office in Calgary, Alberta, adopts a local family each year and help make their Christmas holiday a special one.

Syngenta is an active partner when it comes to developing farm businesses and a strong grower voice for Canadian agriculture. These are some of the development programs Syngenta delivers to help support growers.

Leadership At Its Best^® is a leadership development program created by Syngenta for staff and board members of farm sector organizations. Initiated in the fall of 2005, this program is designed to contribute to leadership development and enhance organizational effectiveness.

Syngenta Grower University^® invites select farmers from across Canada to participate in a unique and challenging business development opportunity at the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University, designed to enhance overall business knowledge.

Syngenta Superintendent University^® is also held at the Richard Ivey School of Business helping golf course superintendents hone their business skills in recruiting, selecting and motivating staff, projecting financial needs, communicating with stakeholders, and making investment decisions.

Assistant Superintendent University^® follows the same principles as Superintendent University, but is designed to develop the skills of future leaders.