During this event the presenters discussed the role of innovation in a sustainable food system including evocative talks, Q&A sessions and a panel discussion. Presentations discussed innovation in crop protection, seeds and biologicals, the role of regenerative agriculture in supporting sustainability, and the grower’s perspective on innovation.
Summaries from this event
Apr 27, 2023
Read NowConfirmed speakers (in alphabetical order)
Charles Baxter
Global Head of Regulatory and Product Safety, Syngenta Seeds
Charles Baxter
Global Head of Regulatory and Product Safety, Syngenta Seeds
Charlie Baxter is Global Head of Regulatory and Product Safety, Syngenta Seeds, responsible for leading a diverse group of scientists that deliver different aspects of Syngenta’s trait pipeline, from discovery to registration. Charlie also represents Syngenta in different industry association forums and is currently chair of Crop Life International’s Plant Biotechnology Strategy Council.
Charlie is based out of Syngenta’s RTP innovation center in N. Carolina, US. He is passionate about translating biotech and plant breeding based innovations into new seed varieties that support growers around the world.
Prior to his current position, Charlie spent 10 years working for Syngenta’s Vegetables seeds business in various roles in R&D. During this time he enjoyed developing native trait solutions for vegetable growers as well as participating in a number of public-private partnerships that advanced the genetic tools available to the plant breeding industry.
Charlie grew up in the UK, in a farming family where he gained his interest in agriculture through working on various arable operations. After completing a PhD at Sheffield University, UK, he was a research associate at the University of Oxford before joining Syngenta.
Jacki Davis
Journalist and Professional Moderator
Jacki Davis
Journalist and Professional Moderator
Hans-Heinrich Grünhagen
German farmer
Hans-Heinrich Grünhagen
German farmer
Hans-Heinrich Grünhagen is a multi-faceted farmer, both a traditionalist and a trailblazer. He comes from a farming family that he can trace back 250 years, and grew up on his parents’ holding in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1991 he has also run a very modern, highly digitized 1,800-hectare farm in a small village in Brandenburg, in eastern Germany. For 30 years he has been blending his farming heritage with innovation and experimentation to adapt to constant changes in agriculture.
The Brandenburg farm business has gone from 90 hectares in 1991 to 1,800 today. Over 1,600 hectares are arable, including table potatoes for consumers, and for commercial customers starch potatoes, maize for biogas, winter rye, winter barley, rapeseed, peas, Jerusalem artichokes and hemp. Some 130 hectares are grassland, 180 forest. The business has one organic farm of 150 hectares, a second one is coming, and it is involved in contract farming. He and other landowners built a wind farm for the local community 20 years ago.
Eva Haensel
Sustainable Portfolio Development Head Crop Protection Development for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Syngenta
Eva Haensel
Sustainable Portfolio Development Head Crop Protection Development for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Syngenta
Eva Haensel works as Sustainable Portfolio Development Head Crop Protection Development for Europe, Africa and the Middle East for Syngenta in Germany.
Eva works cross-functionally with teams from biology, product safety, various technology areas, data solutions, marketing, and others to further develop our portfolio in line with the requirements for innovative plant and soil health solutions to offer farmers nature-positive agricultural innovations.
After school, she did an apprenticeship in the pharmaceutical industry and came to crop protection rather by chance as she was fascinated by what can grow from a tiny little seed when conditions are favourable. She then started working at a farm, studied agronomy, and has since worked in a variety of fields, including professional lawn care, specialty crops like cocoa and coffee, or seed treatment of arable crops.
Mark Hall
Head of Sustainable Farming, Europe, Africa & Middle East, Syngenta
Mark Hall
Head of Sustainable Farming, Europe, Africa & Middle East, Syngenta
Sarah Iveson
Head of Field Crops Seeds Development for EAME
Sarah Iveson
Head of Field Crops Seeds Development for EAME
Sarah Iveson is Head of Field Crops Seeds Development for Europe, Africa and Middle East (EAME) for Syngenta Seeds, responsible for leading a large group of scientists across germplasm development, R&D operations, product placement and agronomy to deliver new genetic solutions to farmers across Europe, Africa and Middle East.
She joined Syngenta as a formulation chemist in the UK. She relocated to Basel in 2011, where she has held various project, portfolio, and operational leadership roles in R&D across the crop protection and seeds businesses. Prior to her current role she led the commercial strategy and portfolio team for cereals with responsibility for defining the route to market of new technologies, including hybrid wheat.
Sarah has had a passion for science from a young age and graduated with a first hons degree in biochemistry from University of Lancaster, UK. She is driven by bringing new plant breeding innovations into the hands of growers and downstream partners, maximizing their genetic potential to enable sustainable crop production.
Alberto Piaggesi
Global Head of Biostimulant Research at Valagro, Syngenta
Alberto Piaggesi
Global Head of Biostimulant Research at Valagro, Syngenta
Robert Renwick
Head of Business Sustainability EAME, Syngenta Crop Protection
Robert Renwick
Head of Business Sustainability EAME, Syngenta Crop Protection
Robert has worked all his 33-year career in Syngenta, starting as an environmental chemist in R&D, progressing through regulatory and marketing roles in the UK, Chile, Brazil, Italy and latterly as Managing Director of the Iberia (Spain & Portuguese) business before taking on his current role as Head of Business Sustainability for the EAME Region in Syngenta Crop Protection in January of this year. He has a thorough understanding of global agricultural trends & challenges and speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian fluently.
Robert is passionate about agriculture and working to ensure that farmers can sustainably produce the best quality food as well as providing stability for their families, communities & generations to come.
Robert lives in Madrid and is married with 2 children, his hobbies include reading, travel, food, wine & golf, as well as spending time with his family.
Riccardo Vanelli
Biologicals Head EAME, Syngenta
Riccardo Vanelli
Biologicals Head EAME, Syngenta
Agenda
Apr 27, 2023
Agcelerating innovation with Syngenta
The importance of innovation to support sustainability
- Robert Renwick, Head EAME Business Sustainability, Syngenta
- Moderator: Jacki Davis, Journalist and Professional Moderator
Agcelerating innovation in Seeds
- Charles Baxter, Global Head of Regulatory and Product Safety, Syngenta Seeds
- Sarah Iveson, Head of Field Crops Seeds Development for EAME
- Moderator: Jacki Davis, Journalist and Professional Moderator
Biologicals at the forefront of innovation
- Riccardo Vanelli, Biologicals Head EAME, Syngenta
- Alberto Piaggesi, Global Head Biostimulant Research, Syngenta
- Moderator: Jacki Davis, Journalist and Professional Moderator
Regenerative agriculture
- Mark Hall, Head Sustainable Farming EAME, Syngenta
- Eva Haensel, Sustainable Portfolio Development Head CPD EAME, Syngenta
- Hans-Heinrich Grünhagen, German farmer
- Moderator: Jacki Davis, Journalist and Professional Moderator
Closing discussion including Q&A
- Sarah Iveson, Head of Field Crops Seeds Development for Syngenta Seeds
- Mark Hall, Head Sustainable Farming EAME, Syngenta
- Riccardo Vanelli, Biologicals Head EAME, Syngenta
- Hans-Heinrich Grünhagen, German farmer
- Moderator: Jacki Davis, Journalist and Professional Moderator
Concluding remarks
- Robert Renwick, Head EAME Business Sustainability, Syngenta
- Moderator: Jacki Davis, Journalist and Professional Moderator