Syngenta boss calls for greater use of genetic engineering

Zurich, Dusseldorf The agrochemical group Syngenta sees difficult times ahead for the world markets for agricultural goods. “We are very concerned about the impact of the war in Ukraine on the global food supply chain,” Erik Fyrwald told Handelsblatt.

Both Ukraine and Russia were among the most productive wheat producers in the world. “For decades, they have been exporting a large part of their annual production to areas that do not have self-sufficient agriculture,” said the manager. This supply chain is now in danger of collapsing. Therefore, Fyrwald is convinced: “Together with other food and agricultural companies, we must work hard to avoid a massive humanitarian food crisis.”

In the short term, Syngenta plans to continue supplying seeds and crop protection products to Russia for humanitarian reasons. The main competitor Bayer and the food giant Nestlé are proceeding in a similar way – even if this attitude has been sharply criticized by the Ukrainian government.