Govt Policy Must Reward Sustainability for India's Small Holder Farmers: Syngenta

Government policies must incentivise sustainable farming to support India's smallholder farmers, as they face intensifying climate challenges like erratic monsoons, droughts, and floods, according to Swiss crop protection firm Syngenta Group Chief Sustainability Officer Petra Laux.

Smallholder farmers account for 80 per cent of the agricultural sector.

With agriculture contributing 25 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but receiving only 5 per cent of climate transition funding and subsidies rewarding climate-smart practices are critical to drive change, Laux said.

In an interview with PTI, she said uncertain crop prices discourage smallholders from using sustainable methods. The lack of premiums for climate-smart crops, unlike niche organic markets, limits progress.

Globally, consumer reluctance to pay more hinders adoption, and scaling emission reduction projects, like Syngenta's methane-focused initiative near Delhi for export markets, face challenges.

"There's no premium for sustainably grown crops or reduced emissions. It's global, and one reason for this is that the consumer in the supermarket doesn't want to pay more," she said.

India's young and digitally skilled farmers are poised to adopt sustainable practices, but policy must reward them. The government policies must subsidise the "more responsible farmers", the executive noted.

Europe's conditional subsidies and Denmark's farm emission taxes offer models. However, "none of them have given any subsidies focusing on smart agriculture, not at scale".

"It's something we have to discuss at COP30 in Brazil this year," she said, adding that there are commitments from traders like Pepsi and LDC to source regeneratively grown crops, though financing remains limited.

"Policy linking sustainability to farm resilience is key for future soil health," the executive asserted.

Syngenta Foundation India connects over 3 million farmers to its digital platform, offering price transparency, market access, and agronomic advice to boost incomes.

For smallholders managing 1-2 hectares, adopting sustainable practices is risky due to potential income loss. Syngenta provides microfinancing support and technologies like high-yield seeds and biostimulants to enhance resilience against climate stressors, such as drought and heat.

"Our digital platform stabilises incomes, but policy support is needed to scale sustainable practices," Laux said.

Biostimulants and natural-origin products that bolster crop resilience to abiotic stresses are key to Syngenta's sustainability strategy. They improve nutrient uptake, cutting fertiliser overuse, a major emissions driver, while stabilising yields.

Farmer awareness is growing, with retail inquiries rising, though adoption remains early-stage amid an uncertain regulatory environment for biostimulants in India, she said.

"Biostimulants are vital for climate adaptation and soil health, increasing carbon sequestration," the executive noted.

Syngenta champions regenerative practices like no-till, crop rotation, cover crops, and precision inputs, supported by specialised herbicides.

Its portfolio includes seeds reducing methane emissions from livestock via altered corn starch and herbicides, enabling alternate wet-dry rice farming to lower emissions. Biostimulants complement these, with biologicals as the fastest-growing segment.

"All technologies are crucial for sustainability," Laux said, adding that "regenerative practices ensure long-term soil health and farm resilience".