The Swiss/Chinese chemical company Syngenta has warned the Swiss population about the consequences of a ban on the use of pesticides in agriculture. According to CEO Eric Fyrwald, the Swiss will have to import more food if they grow less themselves due to the lack of growth promoters.
Syngenta’s boss commented on the two referendums “For clean drinking water and healthy food” and “For a Switzerland without synthetic pesticides,” which will be voted on in Switzerland on June 13. He says he understands the need for a clean environment and acknowledges the “existential threat” of climate change.
A “yes” vote would only lead to much more food being imported into Switzerland. “If you take pesticides away from farmers, food production drops by at least 40 percent,” Fyrwald warned. He does not see his company as the cause of the problem, but as a potential problem solver.
The Swiss Syngenta AG was listed on the Swiss stock exchange until 2017, when it was acquired by the Chinese ChemChina. The group is now significantly larger after the merger with the Israeli Adama and the agricultural businesses of Sinochem. The goal remains to become a publicly traded company again by mid-2022.
“We are making good progress to be ready for a return to the stock market,” Fyrwald said Thursday in an interview with the news agency AWP. “Things are moving in the right direction,” he said. On the stock exchange, Syngenta had previously announced a strong growth of 20 percent for the first quarter of 2021 by mid-2022.
The American/Norwegian Fyrwald was appointed head of the agricultural group Syngenta five years ago and has since been regarded as one of the most powerful agribusiness managers in the world. He warns the Swiss about the consequences of adopting the two agricultural initiatives.