The Syngenta Connections program, the first of its kind in Asia-Pacific, is a regional initiative that links together students, organisations, institutions and farmers to increase access to technology for growers and enhance agronomy knowledge for stakeholders.
The program was launched in 2010 to provide a platform for agriculture students from Australia to learn different agricultural practices in developing countries and understand the challenges faced by smallholder farmers. The program provided 55 young future leaders in agriculture the opportunity to directly ‘connect’ with the farming communities by working with them in the field and being immersed in the local culture.
In 2013, the program was expanded to incorporate an engagement opportunity to improve the public sector’s extension work with smallholder farmers by ‘connecting’ them to extension workers knowledgeable in new farming technologies and processes. This gave life to the Syngenta Connections Study Tour, by taking a group of learners from developing countries to Australia to expose them to modern farming practices.
Syngenta runs the Connections program in collaboration with Rimfire Resources.