Water usage

Agriculture uses about 70 percent of the world’s fresh water. Shortages and changes in water availability pose significant challenges to food security. They affect growing seasons, pests and crop productivity, hindering farmers’ ability to produce food for a growing population.

We encourage growers to adopt conservation agriculture practices, which help them optimize water use, increase soil water holding capacity, reduce water runoff and build crop resilience to changing weather patterns. We measure what can be achieved on farms through our Good Growth Plan.

Water availability also impacts our own operations. Our manufacturing sites continuously look for ways to further optimize water use, especially in water-stressed locations. We are also working to improve water efficiency in our supply chain, where most of our water consumption takes place.

We report on our actions and performance in the ESG Report and our CDP submissions 

Download our latest water security submission to the CDP 

Helping farmers manage water sustainably

Farmers must have the right tools and skills to prosper. We have products available – and in the pipeline – that improve the water productivity of plants and increase tolerance to drought and heat. Weed control using herbicides lowers the need for tillage, leaves roots in the soil and improves water absorption. Efficient irrigation systems deliver water to roots, and planting grasses or wild flowers around fields helps keep water in the soil. In combination, these practices dramatically reduce surface evaporation and water runoff.

Drought tolerant seeds, such as our AGRISURE ARTESIAN^® corn hybrids, can help produce reliable yields in drier and semi-arid conditions. Our HYVIDO^® hybrid barley seeds offer farmers consistently higher yields. Their root systems form earlier, with bigger and more numerous roots leading to stronger hybrid vigor, better water and nutrient uptake and stronger growth under stressful conditions.

In addition, crop enhancement and stress management products can stimulate the main physiological processes of the plant while promoting their growth and productivity. Valagro’s innovative biostimulant TALETE increases crop water productivity in conditions of adequate water availability and permanent or temporary water scarcity. Our EPIVIO™ brand family addresses abiotic stress through seed treatment stimulating seedling development by providing micronutrients and biostimulant compounds to the plant and by activating soil microflora. The resulting natural symbiotic cycle leads to stress-tolerant plants.

When these products are combined with good management practices, agriculture is made more resilient to changes in climate and water availability.

Water optimization in our own operations

We aim to reduce the water intensity of our operations by 20% by 2030 compared to baseline 2016. We are working to minimize water use on production sites and farms, whether operated by us or our suppliers. This will benefit not only communities and the environment but also our own operational efficiency.

All Syngenta sites must ensure water supplies, including those from ground and surface water, are managed appropriately, and water quality is suitable for the intended use. Sites also continuously explore ways to further improve water efficiency. They must also ensure that wastewater is managed correctly from generation until final discharge. This includes process effluents, sanitary wastewater or stormwater discharges.

Through our Supplier Sustainability Program, we assess our chemical suppliers on their environmental performance, which includes water and wastewater management practices. For our seed supplier network, requirements on the use of good agricultural practices, including efficient water use, are part of our regular engagement with them. We are working to provide water management training to growers using irrigation, prioritize good practices when selecting growing areas and expand implementation of water management technologies.