SynthesisA magazine produced for Syngenta employees in the UK

Spring2009

The wiggly wonder of wormsScorchio!

Our survey says…

Sustainable agriculture is about meetingthe challenge of growing more from less.

Take water, for example – a critical resource

that’s under pressure from population growth,

urbanisation and climate change. 70% of

the world’s fresh water is currently used by

agriculture. We need to increase yields and

improve crop quality whilst using available

water more efficiently. That’s where science

and technology can help.

You’ll find many examples of Syngenta’s

contribution to sustainable agriculture in this

and previous editions of Synthesis. For more detail on the science and

technology you can pick up a copy of Science Matters, a magazine produced

by Syngenta’s R&D organisation.

The latest edition of Science Matters focuses exclusively on water. Accessible

articles discuss topics such as the development of drought resistant crops,

support for no-tillage farming in China, and how research and user training

can help to protect existing water bodies from runoff.

To receive a copy of Science Matters, or join the distribution list, Syngenta

employees can contact Senior Fellow, Dr Stuart J. Dunbar at

stuart.dunbar@syngenta.com

Garry NisbetEditor

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Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements

This document contains forward-looking statements, which can be identified by terminology such as “expect”, “would”, “will”, “potential”,“plans”, “prospects”, “estimated”, “aiming”, “on track”, and similar expressions. Such statements may be subject to risks and uncertaintiesthat could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. We refer you to Syngenta’s publicly available filings with the USSecurities and Exchange Commission for information about these and other risks and uncertainties. Syngenta assumes no obligation toupdate forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changed assumptions or other factors. This document does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer, to purchase or subscribe for any ordinary shares inSyngenta AG, or Syngenta ADSs, nor shall it form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract therefore.

BusinessMaking farmers’investments workharder

FarmingBritish farmers are more popularthan ever

SitesHuddersfield andEnkhuizen get Leantogether

SitesGrangemouth impressesSyngenta CEO

SitesFulbourn comes of age – at one!

PeopleDavid Lawrence on a life in R&D

ProductsItaly launches a new fungicidewith style

ScienceWhy worms areimportant in the field

ProductsOur peppers are hot in Mexico

PoliticsJealott’s Hill hosts a very SelectCommittee

PeopleA career in science, and in IP!

PeopleThrive – a charityperfectly aligned withSyngenta’s purpose

SyngentaA first look at the new ‘Grow morefrom less’ adverts

Contents A selection of some ofthe articles in this month’s Synthesis

Synthesis is published for Syngenta by Corporate Affairs, UK, Syngenta, Jealott’s Hill International Research Centre, Bracknell,Berkshire RG42 6EY, United Kingdom.

The editorial team for Synthesis is Garry Nisbet and Andrew Coker.

Thanks to Daniel Braxton, Chris Burgess, Paul Castle,Jodie Champion, Luke Gibbs, Amber Hanes-Miller, Carl Sykes and Thrive for contributions this month.

Designed by Kre8tors Ltd.Printed by Geerings of Ashford Ltd.

Trademarks indicated thus ‘Amistar’ are the property of the Syngenta group of companies.

Bringing plant potential to life® and the Syngenta logo aretrademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.

© Syngenta International AG, 2009. All rights reserved.

Synthesis 3

It’s 2009, and even farming can’tescape the global financial gloom.Grain prices are down, fertilizercosts are sky high. Growing cropsprofitably just got a whole lottougher. That means farmers shouldcut back on inputs like fungicidesand herbicides and keep their moneyin the bank (always assuming theycan find a safe one), right? Wrong!

A new Syngenta initiative called‘Making your investment work harder’aims to show UK growers how tomaximise profits by maintaining highcrop yields and expanding the marginbetween the cost of crop protectiontreatments and the value they deliver.

Syngenta Campaign Manager RodBurke: “The key to making profitsunder these circumstances is highyields, which reduce the cost ofproduction per tonne. Syngenta hasdone a huge amount of work looking at cost effective programmes forfarmers to boost output, includingimproving profitability through moreefficient application of our products.We have strategies for better-protecting yield by improving spray

timeliness, for example with wild oatcontrol with ‘Axial’. This season, theseshould really come into their own.”

The facts bear out Rod’s enthusiasm.Diseases, weeds or lodging (where thestalks of crop plants collapse under

their own weight) can slash cerealyields by three to four tonnes perhectare. Five years of results haveshown that upgrading from nofungicides to a full fungicideprogramme sliced nearly £25 pertonne off production costs, andincreased yield by nearly two and a half tonnes per hectare.

Some crop protection inputs can alsooffer additional returns on investment.As well as protecting against disease,boosting yield and improving greening,the strobilurin fungicide ‘Amistar’ couldplay a role in extracting greater valuefrom available nitrogen. It has beenshown to increase the activity of theenzyme which converts nitrateabsorbed from soil into useable nitriteinside the plant.

With costs being so high, efficient use of fertilizer is likely to be high ongrowers’ agendas this season. AnotherSyngenta product could help there too,as Syngenta Cereal Portfolio ManagerSimon Parker explains.

“Independent research is increasinglylinking improved plant root growthresulting from use of Syngenta’s plantgrowth regulator ‘Moddus’ to improvedscavenging for water and nutrients,”says Simon. “Moddus primarilyprotects crops against lodging, but ithas now been shown to improve theuptake of potassium and phosphate,giving greater yield per kilogramme ofnitrogen applied. It can also improveyield in phosphate-starved plants.”

Of course you may be reading this‘crop protection equals farm profitprotection’ article and thinking toyourself “It sounds great, but Syngentawould say that, wouldn’t it”. Well here’san independent endorsement tofarmers from Graham Redman,Research Economist for AndersonsFarm Business Consultants.

“You’ve got to get the tonnes perhectare up, but the cost per tonnedown,” says Graham. “We’re nowgoing back to the stage where the costof production and the price of wheatare getting closer again, so a fewpounds either way can have a bigimpact on profitability.”

As always, Syngenta is here to help.

A smarterinvestment for farmers

Simon Parker (left) and Rod Burke (right) know agood investment when they see one

4 Synthesis

A survey of consumer perceptions offood and farming issues, sponsoredby Syngenta and carried out by foodand grocery experts IGD, reveals thatfarming is one of the most highlyrespected professions in the country.Speaking at the Oxford Food andFarming Conference, IGD directorJoanne Denney-Finch outlinedhighlights of the extensive 1,000person survey. Farmers, it seems,are as popular as nurses, doctorsand firefighters, and they come outnear the top of the poll for the‘hardest workers’.

“Farmers have an approval rating to die for…the public has never been more disposed in your favour,”Denney-Finch told the audience atOxford.

Other survey highlights demonstratedthat British consumers:

■ think farmers’ primary role is toproduce food, not manage thecountryside

■ believe farmers deserve betterpurchase conditions fromsupermarkets

■ are confident that hygiene standardson British farms are high

■ are divided on growing GM cropsin the UK (27% for, 41% against,32% no opinion)

Farmers can’t rest on their laurelshowever, and statistics never tell thewhole story. For example, if Britishfarmers are so popular, askedDenney-Finch, why don’t they getmore buying support from the publicin the supermarkets? There’s adifference between people’s stated

opinions and their actions. 87% ofpeople polled say supermarketsshould sell more food from Britishfarmers, but ‘Country of Origin’ ranksonly 6th on their priority list when foodshopping. Convenience and priceoften outweigh preferences to shop‘local’ – and supermarkets no doubtrespond accordingly.

Still, despite the impact of recent food scares, and a persistentnegative media slant againstagricultural technologies, the surveyclearly shows that the public knowthat global food security depends

on farmers’ ability to produceabundant, quality food at sensibleprices. What’s more, they’re keen to hear more from farmers as to how that can be done sustainably.

“Only 2% of people say they hear too much from farmers, whereasalmost half the population say theydon’t hear enough,” added JoanneDenney-Finch.

So the message from our survey is clear – the public likes farmers.Estate agents, on the other hand, are somewhat less popular…

British farmers arehard-working, down-to-earth professionalswho deserve the fullsupport of the greatBritish public. Says who? Says thegreat British public,that’s who!

Our survey says…55%

40%

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Nurses

Doctors

Farmers

Fire Fighters

Police

Military

Teachers

Builders

Politicians

Solicitors

Civil Servants

Journalists

High Street Bankers

Estate Agents

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First mention Top 3 mentions

From this list of occupations I’d likeyou to tell me, in rank order, thethree you think work the hardest?Source: IGD Consumer Unit, 2008

Synthesis 5

Huddersfield and Enkhuizencreate value in exchange

Colleagues from the Enkhuizen site inThe Netherlands visited Huddersfieldrecently, when Plant Manager MaartenTimmer and some of his team came to learn about Huddersfield’s Leanmanufacturing processes. Home to the Dutch headquarters of SyngentaSeeds, the Enkhuizen site employsapproximately 500 employees indevelopment, production and sales ofhigh value vegetable and flower seeds,young plants and cuttings. They handleup to 765 vegetable and 3,377 flowervarieties, processing the seeds to meetcustomer specification, often coated incrop protection products likeHuddersfield’s ‘Force’.

The Lean philosophy is about knowingwhat’s important to the customer,eliminating non-value add activity and creating value. Being Lean meansidentifying critical steps in a processand making them flow smoothly whenthe customer pulls for the service. Thisvisit was an opportunity for two verydifferent parts of the Syngenta businessto share best practice.

Huddersfield Lean Manager, Mike Lunn: “Maarten and our colleagues at Enkhuizen have very different Leanneeds to Huddersfield. We are focusedprimarily on eliminating waste andcreating value in process control andautomation of the chemical processing.Whilst this has some relevance to theSeeds business, their main focus isaround efficiency of tasks within a highly labour intensive environment.”

“Huddersfield have dedicated essentialequipment – one product, one

manufacturing unit,” MaartenTimmer adds. “The Seedsbusiness, on the other hand,run multiple productsthrough our equipment.

Rapid change-over between productsand elimination of seed hold-up areabsolutely vital. It could be the differencebetween a good seed, or a bad seed,so to speak.”

The seeds sold have enormous value to Syngenta. A particular breed of a vinetomato, for example, can be worth up to60 cents (which is now about 60 pence)per seed. The customer is buying aseed which has been formulated to give much greater quantity and qualityof yield, so precision analysis of the end product is crucial.

The two sites – Huddersfield andEnkhuizen – have very different productinterests, but clearly share in commonSyngenta’s purpose of ‘Bringing plantpotential to life’. The visit by theEnkhuizen team was a valuableopportunity to learn from the successesof Huddersfield’s Lean journey andidentify synergies between the two sites.

Huddersfield Site Manager, Alistair Conn:“It was a pleasure to have Maarten andhis team on site. We value collaborationacross the business and there is alwaysan insightful exchange of ideas andexperiences. We may use different toolsto get there, but the ideal of being Leanin all that we do is the same.”

Huddersfield’s Carl Sykes reports on a meeting between two very different Syngenta siteswho discovered they had at least one thing in common – a determination to be Lean

The visiting Enkhuizen teamwith Huddersfield

colleagues

Seeds produced at Einkhuizeninclude vine tomatoes

6 Synthesis

Syngenta CEO Mike Mack made a flying visit to Grangemouth at the beginning of March. He mayonly have had a few hours to sparethere, but the Grangemouth sitemade the most of their opportunityto impress the boss.

Site Manager Ronnie Hendrie: “We showcased the progress onconstruction of our new Azoxystrobin(‘Amistar’) plant, Az3, and highlightedwhat was happening around theentire site from a Lean Manufacturingpoint of view. Mike clearly saw howGrangemouth is expanding to meetthe business needs.”

Making a good impression on theCEO probably wasn’t too hard, giventhat all four of Grangemouth’s plantsbroke production records last year.Syngenta sold an incredible $1 billionworth of the fungicide ‘Amistar’ in2008, as global demand soared, and Grangemouth supplied it all.

Az3 Commissioning Manager Martin

Cowling showed Mike what thecompany will get by choosing to site the new plant at Grangemouth.

“I said to him, you can put this facilityanywhere in the world and for yourmoney you’d get an Azoxystrobinplant. But by putting it here atGrangemouth we are creating an Az complex, which will bring flexibilityand other benefits stand-alone unitscan’t offer,” says Martin.

Over at the existing Az, Pinoxadenand AFP (Fill and Pack) plants, Mikesaw how Grangemouth is rising to the production challenge at the sametime as driving down variable costs

to produce a more cost-effectiveproduct. And all of this, of course,whilst maintaining quality of thehighest standards.

The AFP plant recently completedSyngenta’s first Mercury project to go live. Imaginatively titled ‘AFPFormulations Debottlenecking’, the main scope of the project was to install a new bead mill with pump and break tank. It may not sound too exciting to the uninitiated, but the outcome was a doubling of plantcapacity, and that’s pretty impressivein anyone’s book!

“It was great to see how well AFP is organised and just how Lean amanufacturing outfit they are. In factall the plants are working so hard tobe Lean,” Mike commented.

“We talked to Mike about the Mercuryproject and the introduction of ‘S-Pac’,”says Ronnie, “He certainly seemedimpressed with the efficiency of theFill and Pack production line.”

As ever at Grangemouth, it wasprobably the site staff that left thebest impression on their VIP visitor.The last word on that should go toMike Mack: “They clearly all get on so well together, and it’s obvious they are all driving after the samegoal: making the site a success.”

And where Grangemouthsucceeds, Syngenta succeeds.

Grangemouthhighlightssuccess

(Left to right) Ian Williamson, Martin Cowling, Ronnie Hendrie, Mike Mack, Paul Fergusson, Jim Carter,David McGuire and Jim Smith in the Az2 Plant control room

(Left to right) Martin Cowling (Az3 Plant Rep), Mike Mack and Stuart Kindness (AFP OperationsManager) tour the AFP plant

Synthesis 7

A year of sustainedperformanceThe Syngenta 2008 Annual Review was published in March. Anotheryear of sustained momentum for the company saw sales rise 21% to $11.6 billion.

Along with the usual financial, business and corporate responsibilityhighlights, this year’s report focuses on Syngenta’s contribution toovercoming the global challenge for farmers and growers: how to grow more…with less!

Technology makes the difference. From high yielding new seedvarieties, to products and services that protect crops and ensure thathigh quality, affordable produce reaches the end customer, Syngenta’swork brings plant potential to life.

To read about Syngenta’s year in Crop Protection, Seeds, and Lawnand Garden, just visit www.syngenta.com/ar2008/

HappyBirthdayFulbournStaff at the Syngenta UK businessoffice in Fulbourn celebrated inFebruary, when the site reached the grand old age of one!

It’s been a rewarding year for the CropProtection and Seeds business teams,who were all brought together in theone building for the first time as part of the move.

“Joining forces here was a consciousdecision to promote cross-businessworking,” explained UK SeedsCountry Head, John Bloomer. “I’malways proud to show visitors aroundthe Fulbourn offices. When peoplecome to Fulbourn now they’re visitingSyngenta, not just Crop Protection orSeeds. We’ve created a glimpse of

the future of Syngenta here in the UK.”

“The new open plan workingarrangements have really helped ourteams to work together. There’s a realbuzz around the place,” agreed UK &Ireland CP Country Head, JamesBarkhouse. “Bringing Crop Protectionand all of the Seeds businesses(Diverse Field Crops, Flowers and

Vegetables) together is proving verysuccessful. We’re leading the way inSyngenta in Europe with this.”

Syngenta also retains a presenceback at the old UK business site inWhittlesford, where investment hascreated a state-of-the-art wheatbreeding and double-haploid facilitythat was formally opened last year.

John Bloomer (left) and James Barkhouse (right) wish Fulbourn a happy birthday

Q What have you been most proud of in your career?

Dave: As a manager, changing the wayR&D operates. We’re now muchmore closely connected with thebusiness, and have an environmentwhere real innovation happens. I’ve always believed we mustcreate a culture where people canbe innovative, fast and efficient.

For Syngenta as a whole, I’m mostproud of being part of the team that introduced Frameworks and

developed the company purpose,‘Bringing plant potential to life’.

Q How did “innovation happen” inSyngenta R&D, and where did we improve most?

Dave: After the merger we had to makemajor decisions about size andlocations. They were very painful,but it is fantastic to see how theyprovided the stability and freedomfor people to innovate. You can seethe results in our R&D pipelines,which are better than ever before

in my career. The breadth andquality of our innovation is nowfeared by our competitors andloved by our customers!

Q What do you believe will be the keydevelopments in agricultural R&Dover the next decade?

Dave: I’m convinced that the boundariesbetween seeds, traits andchemicals will become blurred.Companies that can provideintegrated technology will win.Syngenta has all the breadth

8 Synthesis

Syngenta’s Head of Research & Development, David Lawrence, retired recently from the SEC (Syngenta Executive Committee). In April he was elected to the Syngenta Board.

A biochemist by training,Dave’s long career withinSyngenta and its legacycompanies culminated inthe top R&D job – a roleto which he says anyonein the organisation canaspire.

In an interview withCommunications heshared some of histhoughts on the past and future, of both the company and ofDavid Lawrence.

and skill to be the one everybodyelse has to follow.

Q Have you noticed many changes at Jealott’s Hill since you started?

Dave: There were only about 250 peoplehere when I arrived in 1974.Jealott’s Hill was more like a farm in those days and very relaxed. The whole business was verydifferent then. We even sold somethings into Eastern Europe via thebarter system – our products inexchange for leather jackets. Times have definitely changed!

Q What’s your advice on “work-lifebalance” to those with hecticschedules?

Dave: Success in all spheres meanshaving many more things to dothan you can possibly manage. Be impatient with things that don’treally need doing and won’t makethe difference. I’ve always beenruthless about doing what has tobe done as efficiently as possible.It’s so easy to be busy but neveractually achieve anything.

Q What will you do after retirement –in addition to duties on our Board?

Dave: I’ve committed to join the UKBiotechnology and BiologicalScience Research Council, which sets strategy for academicresearch funding. I’m also joining a new UK Expert Group on Foodand Farming.

On the personal side, my wife and I recently bought a house on thesouth coast of England, and I lookforward to spending time there. I intend to start singing again. I used to be a tenor in an amateurchoir that gives concerts withprofessional soloists and anorchestra. All in all, I’m lookingforward to greater flexibility in myagenda than I have had for years.

Q You’re a pretty good photographertoo, will you make more time forthat?

Dave: Yes, I think I have a natural eye for composition, so I particularlyenjoy landscape photography. I even have a website and try to

sell a few. Most of my shots are of natural landscapes. I don’t likehaving people in them. I photoshopthem all out!

Q And you’re a bit of a ‘car buff’,judging by your new Maserati?

Dave: [Laughs] I do like driving, anddriving fast – but safely of course!As a child I remember beingfascinated by the Lagonda. I’m also terribly practical though, so I wanted a sporty but roomy 4-seater. Really there aren’t too manychoices. It’s only very recently thatI’ve been able to afford a Maserati.

Q And if you could go through yourcareer a second time?

Dave: I would do the same things again. If I changed anything at all, it wouldbe to have greater courage to dosome of those things earlier andmore confidently.

Synthesis 9

A Dave Lawrence landscape photo: including a great driving road

Dave’s Maserati

10 Synthesis

Seeing is believing

Andrea Zanaboni, Crop ManagerGrapes: “Expectations for ‘Pergado’are extremely high in Italy, butgrowers see new crop protectionproduct launches all the time. Ourlaunch events have to be special tocapture their attention.”

The launch team knew that the key to

success would be to give growers theopportunity to see with their own eyeshow well ‘Pergado’ performs and theunique benefits it brings. More than 80 product demonstration trialsorganised across Italy in 2008 didjust that, with 5,000+ growers bearingwitness first-hand. Cameramen wereon hand to film their reactions andcapture compelling images of theproduct’s field performance. The

team were able to share the evidencewith the audiences at the 2009launch events, with a creative videomix that included a virtual tour of thedemonstration trials – all veryFederico Fellini!

A superior product

Of course, flashy videos are all verywell, but farmers are businessmenand not easily swayed by PR puffery,even when it’s done with Italian flair.The hard data on field performanceand product attributes – such as thecombination of curative andpreventative abilities, long-lastingeffects and rainfastness – wereneeded too. The Italian crop teamsworked with Marketing Services andthe Field Force for six months todevelop their new, innovativeapproach to product launch. The highlevel of positive feedback showedhow well growers responded.

Italian growers now anxiously awaittheir first deliveries of ‘Pergado’.Those cypress-studded hillsidesshould remain fruitful for a long timeto come.

Italy launches‘Pergado’ with flairImagine the vineyards of Italy:cypress-studded hillsides, grape-laden vines basking under a ceruleansky. Home of famous names likeChianti, Barolo, Valpolicella and, of course, downy mildew…

Yes, downy mildew – a fungaldisease of grapes inadvertentlyimported from America in the 1870sthat made itself at home in Europe.Italy’s 800,000 hectares of vine are insome of the most perfect growingconditions in the world, but they’reno more immune to disease here

than anywhere else. Over 80% ofItaly’s growers say downy mildewaffects the quality of their wine, andthat’s where Syngenta can make adifference.

‘Pergado’, Syngenta’s new downymildew fungicide, was recentlylaunched to customer and influenceraudiences at events in Verona, NizzaMonferrato, Florence and Bari. Thestylish events were the culminationof an intense period of preparationby the Italian ‘Pergado’ Technicaland Marketing teams.

The ‘Pergado’ launch team, from left: Maurizio Colnaghi, Vanes Rubboli, Maria Grazia Camisa,Robert Renwick, Andrea Zanaboni, Luisa Ossola, Paolo Cestari, Luca Serrati and Luca Fusarini (photo by Paolo di Lernia)

Grapes infected with downy mildew

Syngenta Flowers has launched new websites. The new global webpage acts as a portal to existingSyngenta Flowers country websites in Europe and theUSA. At the same time, it offers contact information for all countries where Syngenta Flowers operates, as well as general information about the global operations.

The new UK website offers detailed information about local sales and service contacts, features productinformation, news and events, and information on current product campaigns.

One useful tool on the website is the interactive onlinecatalogue which allows the user to search for flower

varieties by crop, product line, plant colour, growing habit,earliness, growth rate and features.

To try the new Syngenta Flowers UK website, visitwww.syngenta-flowers.co.ukTo try the new Syngenta Flowers global website, visitwww.syngenta-flowers.com

Every gardener knows thatearthworms are friends. Theirburrowing helps to promote plantgrowth by moving nutrients aroundsoil layers and improving soilstructure, aeration and drainage.But have you ever wondered whateffect worms have on a largerscale, like in farmers’ fields? Our scientists have.

The ECOWORM project, sponsoredby Syngenta and carried out by theCatholic University of Leuven inBelgium, looks at the effects ofdifferent agricultural managementsystems on worm density in arablesoil, and the possible knock-onconsequences for factors such as soil erosion and run-off.

So are worms wiggly erosion-preventing wonders, or just peskypains in the ground? It’s an importantquestion. Arable soil erosion is ahuge problem, with over 200 milliontonnes of soil lost from Europe’sarable farms every year – that’senough to fill Wembley stadium to the brim 120 times!

When it comes to soil erosion,ECOWORM data shows that wormscan be both villains and heroes.Worm casts left on the soil surface –which are a pain when they spoil theappearance of your pristine lawn –

are all too easily washed away in the farmer’s field, contributing to soil erosion. The data also shows,however, that this negative effect ismore than offset by the role of wormsas soil engineers, generally improvingwater infiltration and soil stability withtheir ‘gallery network’ of burrows.

“Earthworm biomass and numbersare correlated with reductions in bothsediment load and runoff accordingto rainfall simulations in the field,”says Syngenta scientist Peter Sutton(Senior Technical Expert,Environmental Safety).

Or to put it another way, more wormsmeans less erosion when it rains.

ECOWORM data confirms that fieldmanagement systems involvingreduced ploughing regimes (such as minimal tillage) help to preventerosion directly and promoteincreased worm densities in the soil.This in turn helps to reduce erosionfurther.

So all in all it looks like the earthworm’sreputation as a wiggly wonder is wellfounded.

Thewigglywonderof worms

Synthesis 11

New websites forSyngenta Flowers

12 Synthesis

South of the border, down Mexicoway, Syngenta Vegetable teams aretaking the pepper market to newlevels. Sweet and chilli peppers arebig business. Hot peppers inparticular are considered a staplefood in Mexico, with average localconsumption working out at around20lb per person per year. Exports tothe US are on the up too.

The goal of Marco Toapanta and theNAFTA region Pepper Team is toprovide valuable solutions to peppergrowers here by developing newvarieties with improved characteristicsto meet their needs.

Marco Toapanta, Business Manager,Peppers: “Hot pepper growingacreages are fairly stable in Mexico,

but the introduction of hybrid varietiesand more sophisticated productiontechnologies has helped spurproductivity. Greenhouse production of sweet peppers is a smaller market,but is now growing rapidly with anestimated value in 2008 of $10 million.”

Recognising the value potential of themarket, Syngenta Vegetable Seeds has set up a dedicated breedingprogramme for new chilli varieties.

“The programme emphasises higherplant productivity coupled with broaddisease resistance and excellent fruitsize and quality,” says Marco.

For Sweet Peppers, many of whichmust be greenhouse grown, there’s an investment in a new ProtectedCrops research facility in Culiacanprovince. Acceleration of thedevelopment of new hybrid varietiesmeans bringing on board Syngentabreeding technology from other partsof the world in a global team approach.

Marco is looking forward to launchingthe best new hybrids to come throughthe programme: “We expect to gainmarket share in the next couple ofyears. Our customers like Syngenta’sglobal capabilities and are willing tosupport our efforts, providing valuableinputs on the selection of newvarieties.”

Buena suerte, Marco!

Some Hot Pepper ‘Did you knows?’Chilli peppers get their heat from capsaicin, a naturally occurring compound that is an irritant to mammals, but not birds.

Chilli pepper heat is rated in ‘Scoville units’.

Spicy Jalapeños range from a mouth-tingling 2,000 Scoville units to a tongue-blasting 6,000 units.

Sweet peppers, such as bell peppers, contain no capsaicin and are rated ‘zero’.

According to recent research, hot peppers may have therapeutic effects. Capsaicin, for example, may be able to kill somecancer cells (BBC News, 2007).

The hottest team in Mexico? From left to right, Syngenta’s Horacio Lopez, Michelle Myers,Ricardo Mendez, Marco Toapanta and Ruben Aboytes know their peppers

Some top Syngenta Pepper varieties (left to right: ‘Taos’, ‘Fascinato’ and ‘Compadre’)

Scorchio!Syngentapeppers arehot in Mexico

If you want to know how the UK will be able feed its population in the year2050, it helps to ask industry expertswho know something about agriculturalresearch and technology. That’scertainly the view of the UK Parliament’sEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs(EFRA) Select Committee, who visitedSyngenta’s Jealott’s Hill R&D site inMarch. The Committee were on a fact-finding mission to help inform their inquiry ‘Ensuring Food Supplies up to 2050: the challenges for the UK’.

“The visit was requested by theCommittee following our submission ofwritten evidence to the inquiry,” explainsLuke Gibbs, the new Head of PublicAffairs for Syngenta in the UK. “It’s anacknowledgement of the work beingdone by the industry to stabilise andprotect domestic and international crop production, and particularly theresearch we undertake at Syngentahere in the UK.”

Four committee members, including theChairman, Rt. Hon. Michael Jack MP,were shown how Syngenta identifiespotential targets for research anddevelops products that meet farmers’needs. In particular, they saw howtechnology can increase cropproductivity through products such as

the world-leading fungicide ‘Amistar’.

Luke: “Through presentations andpractical demonstrations we helpedCommittee members develop genuineunderstanding of the role of technology.There were plenty of tough questionsalong the way. Fact finding trips like thishelp members to develop insights andfill gaps in their knowledge. It’s by nomeans a one-way process!”

Why hold an inquiry into food security?Food commodity prices spikedmassively in 2007 and 2008,highlighting the potential impact ofdemand pressures like increasingpopulation, biofuel production andchanging nutrition patterns. Althoughglobal food supply and pricesstabilised again in the later part of2008, the issue of food security hasremained on the political agenda.Politicians around the world, includingthe UK, are looking to assess thestrength and reliability of domestic and global agricultural supply chains.

Why did the EFRA Committee visitJealott’s Hill?This EFRA Committee has already held a number of evidence sessions in Parliament. There has been muchdiscussion about the role of

technologies like GM crops and cropprotection in securing reliable foodsupplies. A wide range of stakeholders– pro and anti technology – have maderepresentations. Questions have beenraised about public sector investmentin agricultural research and whether theGovernment is doing enough.

Mike Bushell, Jealott’s Hill Site Head: “I believe this is the first time a SelectCommittee has visited Jealott’s Hill. Wesucceeded in helping the members tounderstand the ways in which privatesector, commercially-focused researchdiffers to work undertaken in the publicsector. Although of course there is an important role for public sectorresearch to play in helping meet someof the challenges.”

What happens now?The EFRA Committee’s inquiry will havea concrete outcome: a detailed reportwith specific recommendations. DEFRAwill be obliged to respond, either adoptingthe recommendations or detailingreasons why they are not taken up.

“We hope that many of the themes wediscussed and the recommendationswe made will be reflected in theCommittee’s report later this summer,”adds Luke.

Theevidenceis clear

Syngenta’s Naomi Pain explains the science to Rt. Hon. Michael Jack, MP and Committee members

EFRA Committee members and advisers take a closer look

Synthesis 13

Select Committees in a nutshell■ Government departments are overseen bycross-party parliamentary committees taskedwith assessing performance of the departmentand its Ministers.

■ The committees hold inquiries into key issues,and make recommendations accordingly.

■ Departments must respond to committeerecommendations, either adopting them orpublicly detailing reasons why they have not.

■ The EFRA Committee scrutinises theexpenditure, administration and policy of theDepartment of Environment, Food and RuralAffairs (DEFRA) and associated departments.

Back in the 1980s

With a newly-gained PhD in PhysicalChemistry, fresh-faced scientist MartinOsborn was looking for a job. An advertin New Scientist for a post at Jealott’sHill caught his eye.

“It wasn’t really in my area of expertise,but I figured an interview would be goodexperience, so I applied anyway,” saysMartin. “They told me my backgroundwas interesting but I wasn’t quiteappropriate for the position. But thenagain, neither was anyone else they’dinterviewed!”

As is often the way, something wasworked out and in 1986 Martin got his first proper job.

A career in Science

Martin: “I spent the next decade workingas a Team Leader in the FormulationDepartment. It was great experience. I really enjoyed the way science is donehere. There’s such a strong team focus.”

In terms of career highlights, Martinparticularly remembers a challenge from his manager a few years into thejob: to find a way to make a new activeingredient more stable in sunlight. As hismanager encouragingly put it: ‘Nobodyelse has overcome this problem, and we don’t think you will either, but we like you so we’ll give you a chance.’

“A trip to the Jealott’s Hill library broughtinspiration in the shape of a bikini-cladwoman on the front cover of‘Manufacturing Chemist’,” Martin recalls.

“She was promoting an article on thechemistry behind sun-care products and I wondered if we could use similartechnology. It was one of those ‘eureka!’moments. Back in the lab, mycolleagues were equally excited. We set to work right away, with a degree of success.”

As ever, time and research prioritiesmoved on. Other teams in othercountries took the concept forward,inventing one of Syngenta’s leadinginsecticide products ‘Karate Zeon’ as a result.

A career In IP?

Meanwhile, Martin too had moved on, joining the company’s IntellectualProperty (IP) Department in the mid-1990s – a choice that involved over five years of training and exams to qualify as a patent attorney.

“Again, it wasn’t really planned out. I kind of drifted into it,” says Martin.“When the opportunity came up, I thought it looked interesting and Iapplied. Working in IP is very rewarding,but it’s less of a team thing than science.I can spend the entire day alone in myoffice working on a single patentapplication, except for coffee breaks.”

Martin still relishes opportunities to work as part of a team, and was given the chance when fate brought his ‘eureka moment’ from years beforeback to his desk.

Martin: “Our UK patent on ‘Karate Zeon’was being challenged and the case went

to a patent court. Naturally, mybackground meant I could act as a bridge between our scientists, ourindependent expert witness and ourlegal team. It was pure chance, but acareer can be filled with coincidenceslike that. Thankfully, we won the caseand ‘Karate Zeon’ is still one of ourblockbuster products.”

So what’s the next unplanned careermove for this intrepid scientist/IPattorney? A shift into managementperhaps?

Martin laughs. “I’ve already made onebig career change. I think IP is a lifesentence! When someone asks mewhere I want to be in five years time I say ‘Still here; still a patent attorney’.But then again, who knows…?”

Career paths in Syngenta are many and varied. Somepeople plan it all in advance, others just go with the flow.Synthesis looks at the career to date of Syngenta PatentAttorney, Martin Osborn – a case study in serendipity andtaking your chances when they come along…

Syngenta PeopleSyngenta Careers

Martin Osborn, Syngenta Patent Attorney

‘Karate Zeon’ with built-in sun block

14 Synthesis

Synthesis 15

Gardening can change lives for thebetter. That’s the premise behindThrive, a small national charity selectedby Syngenta’s Jealott’s Hill site as theirRecreation Club charity for 2009.

Thrive aims to improve the lives ofdisabled people through participating ingardening. Their team of therapists givethose with mental, physical or sensorydisabilities a chance to take part instructured gardening programmes thatoffer therapy, training and education.

Derek Scuffell (Information Specialist,Jealott’s Hill) has direct experience ofThrive’s work. His father suffered a strokeafter a hip operation, leaving dreams of an active retirement filled with plenty ofgardening in tatters. Derek: “People in my dad’s situation can go one of twoways; many become housebound andreclusive. Thankfully, Thrive was right onour doorstep. They were the perfect tonic.My dad has his own garden plot therenow and grows nothing but potatoes – all King Edward’s. In fact he’s famous as the king of high yield!”

At Jealott’s Hill, staff will raise money forThrive throughout the year with activitiesranging from a pancake-tossing challengeto a sunflower growing competition, andplenty more in-between.

“We hope to raise up to £6,000, which will then be match-funded from the site’scentral charitable donations budget to make a very significant contribution,” saysRecreation Club Manager, Mina Jobanputra.

Andrew Coker (Communications) “Syngentais one of the world’s biggest garden flowerproducers, and Thrive is perfectly alignedwith our purpose of ‘Bringing Plant Potentialto Life’. We’re delighted it was selected asthe Recreation Club charity and proud tohelp support it in 2009.”

You can find out more about Thrive atwww.thrive.org.uk

Helping Thrive to thrive

Thrive Gardeners at the charity’s Trunkwell Garden Project

Derek Scuffell looks on as Thrive’s Wendy Harbottle triessponsored pancake tossing

Photograph courtesy of Caroline Nieuwenhuys

Photograph courtesy of James Finlay