New research from Syngenta, in partnership with America’s Conservation Ag Movement, outlines the key obstacles in adopting conservation agriculture practices, and how the path of least resistance forward is via ag retail.
Dayna Gross, manager of programs and partnership for sustainable and responsible business team at Syngenta, discusses how the company’s goal is to make changes as easy as possible for the grower. And she shares why the retailer is a critical part in engaging farmers to make whatever their next step is.
“Our goal has always been to make these changes to conservation ag as easy as possible for the grower,” Gross says. “Retailers are one of the best ways to really make change happen on the ground. Retailers have trusted long term relationships with farmers.”
She gives examples in The Scoop Podcast:
As a gleaning from the recent research, it showed what resonates with the retailer in messaging most likely resonates with the grower.
Gross highlights how many farmers are familiar with conservation ag practices, and to bring more opportunities forward for them requires intentionality and resources. This could include smaller touches over time rather than one big push for change.
“When you’re ready, Syngenta will be there with solutions,” she says. “And we ensure this doesn’t take away a ton from your day to day work because we all know how busy farmers are. What we like to think about is, how can we help and meet people where they are. It’s about what’s working really well on an operation, and maybe help fill in some of those places where there are gaps.”
She says there are three opportunities Syngenta has several case studies with success:
- Soil health
- Biodiversity
- Optimal crop production
One tool they are unveiling to help make possible changes easy to assess is the Cropwise Sustainability app. In 20 minutes, a farmer can walk through a series of questions to identify options and opportunities.
“We have global commitments around rural prosperity, higher yield, lower impact,” Gross says. “And we can’t do it alone. Along with our history as a solutions provider, we can better serve retailers and farmers in adopting practices and addressing the barriers that might be holding them back from trying something new.”
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