Syngenta has turned its attention to transforming degraded pasturelands back to fully productive agriculture through its REVERTE® program
Syngenta started the REVERTE program in 2019 with the aim of restoring degraded pasturelands and avert the need to clear more native vegetation for agriculture.
The REVERTE program has been so successful it has been recognised as best-in-class in Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
The program offers farmers a viable, long-term framework that includes access to agronomic expertise and financing, while requiring strict compliance with environmental criteria.
To date, 280,000 hectares – an area slightly larger than New York City and London combined – is being restored under this program, spanning 11 states and 3 biomes across Brazil.
As a result of adopting the program, 92% of monitored farms have seen yield increases between their first and second year of implementation, averaging 9% growth.
Petra Laux, Chief Sustainability Officer at Syngenta Group, said: “REVERTE is one of the world’s most ambitious programs to restore degraded land for agriculture.
“Its success in Brazil is proof that strong ideals, great partners, and hard work can come together to address difficult challenges in agriculture and global food systems,” Petra Laux concluded.
Syngenta has set a target of recovering 1 million hectares of degraded land across Brazil by 2030.
Core to the REVERTE program is the promotion of regenerative agriculture practices that improve soil health, increase carbon sequestration and enhance farm productivity.
The REVERTE program provides farmers with comprehensive support to adopt practices such as crop rotation, cover cropping, and no-till planting while offering agronomic advice, financial support and access to innovative agricultural technologies that make the transition practical and profitable.
Designed in 2019 by Syngenta and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the program initially focused only on the Cerrado biome – a vast subtropical region the size of France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Norway combined – selected due to the size of the opportunity that the biome presents, with 18 million hectares of degraded areas and important opportunities for the conservation of natural habitats.
Since 2021, Itaú BBA bank offers a line of credit for growers who are part of the program and following the socio-environmental criteria.
Building on growing interest from farmers in other regions, Syngenta is assessing opportunities to expand the program and initiated a project in Paraguay earlier this year to help producers in Chaco and the Eastern region adopt regenerative practices.
About Syngenta Group
Syngenta Group is one of the world’s biggest agricultural innovation companies, employing over 56,000 people in more than 90 countries. Syngenta Group is focused on developing technologies and farming practices that empower farmers, so they can make the transformation required to feed the world’s population.
