b'rently feed 1.5 billion people, despite nearly half of its arableas the best growers anywhere in the world. I believe deeply in land being degraded. By 2070, the population is expected tothe people working in the field and in the teams at the Seedcare at least double. Soils need to be preserved to produce enoughInstitute who support them every day.food. What farmers need today are tools that help them getThat optimism is reinforced by what were building through higher yields in ways that are both efficient and sustainable. the Seedcare Institute itself. As climate change and evolving pest Thats what good seed treatment enables. When you protectpressures continue to reshape agriculture, the Seedcare Institute the seed precisely and apply the right solutions in the right way,has become a critical resource for the region: a place where you reduce waste, improve efficiency and give the crop the bestsustainable farming solutions are developed, where soil health possible start. And importantly, you do that without compromisingis actively researched and protected, and where technical knowl-soil health or the environment. edge is shared through hands-on training and expert support. All I measure our success in value to farmers. For African farm- of it is aimed at strengthening regional food security and helping ers, one of the big markers of that value is in emergence andfarmers manage risk more effectively, season after season.early establishment.Im also excited by the innovation coming through the pipe-In many parts of Africa and the Middle East, the early phaseline, particularly in seed treatment chemistry and seed-applied is where things go wrong. Drought pressure, uneven rainfall andbiologicals. When strong technology is combined with local limited infrastructure all make establishment risky. For exactly thatunderstanding and committed people, the impact can be trans-reason, our focus at the Seedcare Instituteformative.is to get as close as possible to a 100% emergence and young plant establishmentAt the end of the day, the Seedcare Institute is built around rate. We take technologies from Syngentas global pipeline andone simple idea: enable plants to thrive so growers can pros-then tailor them for African conditions. We formulate, test, adaptper, communities can be fed, and agriculture can move forward and refine. As weve seen over and over, a solution that worksresponsibly.elsewhere in the world wont necessarily work here, so its up to us to find unique solutions that do work in our local context. The focus on sustainability is shared across our Seedcare Institute team and are foundational components of every decision. As Professor Driekie Fourie, Product Biologist at the Syngenta Seedcare Institute, puts it (and as she will explore fur-ther when she speaks at AFSTA Congress 2026 in Cape Town):Today, long-term food security is therefore non-negotiable. Syngentas R&D tackles climate change and soil health, expand-ing our sustainability footprint across Africa and globally. Our innovation-anchored sustainability pillars advance the agricul-tural solutions needed to meet this challenge by providing our customers the best of both worlds, namely new-generation plant-protection products as well as biologicals.The commitment to sustainability goes well beyond prod-ucts. It is embedded in how we think about all components of seed treatment, application and stewardship. Whether its our ever-improving application technology, our laboratory s focus on soil health and sustainability, even secondary systems like our investment in responsible wastewater management, the principle is the same: intensify agriculture WHILE supporting soil health and future productivity. Some of the Seedcare Institute projects Im most excited about include studying soil microbiome interactions, developing sustainable seed treatment solutions, researching climate-resilient seed treatments and supporting integrated dis-ease and pest management strategies. THE PATH AHEAD Like every farmer and every business connected to agriculture, Im acutely aware of how much of farming sits beyond our control. In Africa especially, climate variability remains one of the great-est challenges, particularly during those early, critical stages of crop establishment when success or failure is often decided.And yet, Im deeply optimistic.Ive spent my career alongside African farmers. Watching their commitment, perseverance and creativity, whether theyre farming a few hectares or managing large commercial opera-The Seedcare Institute supports farmers through practical, end-to-end seed tions, has given me enormous confidence in this continents agri- treatment solutions that work in African conditions.cultural future. They are every bit as capable and professional FEBRUARY 2026|SEEDWORLD.COM/EUROPEISEED WORLD EUROPE I 21'