Fourth-generation farmer Carl Casale is a non-executive director at Syngenta, a global leader in agrochemicals. In 2019, Carl Casale was a speaker at the annual Oregon Blueberry Conference, where he talked about the opportunities presented by changing consumer expectations in agriculture. One of these expectations involves sustainability in food production to ensure people have access to safe, healthy produce.
Unsafe food is the reason about 600 million people around the globe suffer foodborne illnesses annually. Of these, about 3 million die. Most of the deaths are in the least developed countries.
Food can be contaminated at any point, from when it is growing on farms to when it is being cooked in homes. On farms, food safety starts with applying safe agricultural inputs to ward off pests and other pathogenic microorganisms. An example is Fusarium, a fungus that is common in wheat, barley, and corn. The fungus produces deadly mycotoxins that if ingested can harm humans.
Syngenta has, over the years, developed a range of products to protect crops from such dangers while preventing the destruction of food as waste due to contamination. They include fungicides and pesticides. These crop protection products are integral to preventing food infection and ending foodborne illnesses.
Some quarters have viewed pesticides and fungicides negatively, seeing them as threats to food safety. Innovations carried out in the agronomy space, however, ensure that crop protection products prioritize both crop and human health. In fact, over the last 80 years, the sector has attained an impressive 95 percent reduction in the average application rate per hectare.
Unsafe food is the reason about 600 million people around the globe suffer foodborne illnesses annually. Of these, about 3 million die. Most of the deaths are in the least developed countries.
Food can be contaminated at any point, from when it is growing on farms to when it is being cooked in homes. On farms, food safety starts with applying safe agricultural inputs to ward off pests and other pathogenic microorganisms. An example is Fusarium, a fungus that is common in wheat, barley, and corn. The fungus produces deadly mycotoxins that if ingested can harm humans.
Syngenta has, over the years, developed a range of products to protect crops from such dangers while preventing the destruction of food as waste due to contamination. They include fungicides and pesticides. These crop protection products are integral to preventing food infection and ending foodborne illnesses.
Some quarters have viewed pesticides and fungicides negatively, seeing them as threats to food safety. Innovations carried out in the agronomy space, however, ensure that crop protection products prioritize both crop and human health. In fact, over the last 80 years, the sector has attained an impressive 95 percent reduction in the average application rate per hectare.
