Company History

2010

Syngenta acquires the Maribo Seed sugarbeet business from Nordic Sugar. This acquisition consolidates Syngenta’s position in European sugar beet.

Syngenta completes its $600 million capacity expansion program for the production of crop protection products; this is Syngenta’s largest ever investment program.

Syngenta and Embrapa, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, start partnership to improve crop quality and yield in various crops, such as corn, cotton and soybean.

Syngenta joins Sustainability Consortium as founding member.

Syngenta enters into a public-private partnership with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) to focus on the development and advancement of technology in wheat.

2009

Syngenta acquired two U.S. lettuce seed companies: Synergene Seed & Technology, Inc. and Pybas Vegetable Seed Co., Inc.

Syngenta Ventures has made an equity investment in U.S. biotech company Metabolon, its first direct investment.

Syngenta was ranked among the Top 20 Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Employers according to survey results published in a special feature of Science magazine.

Syngenta and IRRI collaborate in undertaking rice research, build scientific capacity, and establish a Scientific Know-how Exchange Program to benefit Asia’s rice farmers.

Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (SFSA) announces a public-private partnership between Syngenta, CIMMYT and SFSA to identify and map genetic markers for use in wheat resistance breeding against Ug99 stem rust.

Syngenta acquires Monsanto’s hybrid sunflower seeds activities. The acquisition strengthens Syngenta’s leading sunflower business.

Syngenta launches “Operation Pollinator”, a program to provide essential habitat and food sources for pollinating insects across Europe.

Syngenta and Dow AgroSciences announce an agreement to cross license their respective corn traits for commercialization within their branded seeds businesses.

Syngenta announces research collaboration with Anhui Rice Research Institute of China to conduct tests of novel gene functions in key crops such as corn and soybean.

2008

Syngenta and Dow AgroSciences announce a research and development agreement to evaluate current and future Dow AgroSciences compounds for incorporation into Syngenta's market-leading seed treatment portfolio.

Syngenta acquires Argentine seeds company SPS, a company specialized in the development, production and marketing of seeds including soybean and corn.

Syngenta announces PleneTM, a breakthrough sugar cane planting technology in Brazil to dramatically improve the cost efficiency of sugar cane planting. Syngenta´s innovation would reduce planting costs per hectare by some 15%.

Syngenta acquires the Chrysanthemum and Aster business from the US flowers producer Yoder Brothers. Chrysanthemums are one of the top five selling pot and garden flowers in the global industry.

Syngenta acquires the US flower seeds producer Goldsmith Seeds. The acquired company breeds, produces and sells a broad range of pot and bedding products, including major crops such as cyclamen, impatiens and petunia.

Syngenta receives the 2008 World Business and Development Award (WBDA) for the development and successful introduction of a new sugar beet that can be grown under tropical climate conditions and brings significant advantages to farmers, the environment, the sugar and ethanol industries and the economy.

Syngenta launches refreshed corporate brand and visual identity and introduces its company purpose “Bringing plant potential to life”.

Syngenta builds major global biotech research center in Beijing, China. The new facility has a global scope and complements Syngenta’s biotech research activities in the US.

Syngenta strengthens Stein campus through CHF 85 million investment; inauguration of expanded research center including the Seed Care Institute.

Syngenta donates corn genetics stocks to the Maize Functional Diversity Group.

Syngenta, DuPont sign agreement for access to broad insect control technology in corn

AgroFresh and Syngenta to form strategic alliance on Invinsa™ crop stress protection.

2007

Syngenta and the Royal Society of Chemistry announce the creation of the Pan Africa Chemistry Network to help promote the economic and social development of the continent.

Syngenta introduces tropical sugar beet for food and biofuels. The introduction of tropical sugar beet in India brings significant advantages to farming and economy.

Syngenta reinforces vegetable seeds with Zeraim Gedera acquisition.

Syngenta enters into five-year research collaboration with the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (IGDB) in Beijing, China. Syngenta will have rights to commercialize developed field crops traits for global agriculture markets.

Syngenta to take stake in Sanbei, Chinese seeds company.

Syngenta to acquire Fischer, leading European flowers company.
 

2006

Syngenta acquires Conrad Fafard, Inc., a leading North American producer of packaged growing media, expanding the companies NAFTA lawn and garden business.

Syngenta to acquire Emergent Genetics Vegetable A/S.

Syngenta and the ETH Zurich Foundation announce the creation of a scholarship foundation for PhD students conducting research projects at ETH Zurich in the area of plant science.

DuPont and Syngenta announce licensing agreements and the formation of GreenLeaf Genetics LLC, a joint venture that will bring expanded choice to North American farmers through broader access to the companies’ proprietary corn and soybean genetics and biotechnology traits.

Syngenta included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the first time.

2005

Syngenta and COMPO in strategic alliance for consumer lawn and garden products.

Syngenta and INSEAD announce the creation of a scholarship foundation for students from emerging countries to study for a Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) at INSEAD.

Syngenta enters into three-year research collaboration with Hubei Biopesticide Engineering Research Center (HBERC) of the Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences based in Wuhan, China. The aim of the collaboration is to discover natural chemicals that can be used as starting points for the development of novel crop protection agents.

Syngenta included in the FTSE4 Good Sustainability Index for the first time.

Syngenta announces the donation of important genetic information on Phytophthora infestans or Potato Late Blight, one of the most devastating plant diseases in global agriculture, to an international scientific gene database.

Syngenta and Sumitomo enter herbicide license agreement.
 

2004

Syngenta donates Golden Rice to the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board for developing countries.

Syngenta and Delta and Pine Land (D&PL) of the USA announced today a long-term agreement to develop and commercialize novel biotechnology products for cotton.

Syngenta acquires Golden Harvest: US corn and Soybean business further enhanced.

Syngenta donates genomics seed collection.

Syngenta and Fox Paine agree to acquire Advanta BV , one of the world’s leading seed companies, from AstraZeneca of the UK and Royal Cosun of the Netherlands.

2004 Syngenta and Tanimura & Antle form a partnership to deliver premium quality produce to consumers. The joint venture, Dulcinea Farms, LLC., will market Dulcinea™ branded produce items including the PureHeart™ miniature seedless watermelon and a new ultra sweet Tuscan style cantaloupe.

2004 Syngenta acquired all outstanding shares of Dia-Engei, the Japanese leader in producing and marketing seedlings of flowering plants and vegetables.
 

2003

Syngenta announced the world’s first hybrid barley variety was introduced in the United Kingdom . The variety is named Colossus.
 

2002

Syngenta and Diversa form a broad collaboration to establish a shared biotechnology research platform and to discover products.

Dr. Stephen Goff, director of Genome Technology at Syngenta, has been named Research Leader of the Year by Scientific American magazine.

Syngenta releases the Rice Genome Map.

Mary Dell Chilton receives the Franklin Institute Award.

2001

The Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture is launched.

The Torrey Mesa Research Institute (TMRI), the genomics research center of Syngenta, completed the Rice Genome Map in collaboration with Myriad Genetics Inc.




Syngenta inherits the strengths and traditions of two excellent companies. However, it will have a clear personality of it own. Our name, Syngenta, has two distinct roots. "Syn" stems from Greek. It reflects synergy and synthesis, integration, and consolidating strengths. "Genta" relates to humanity and individuals. It stems from the Latin "gens," for people or community. So Syngenta means "bringing people together."

2000

November 13: On November 13, 2000 Novartis and AstraZeneca merged their agribusinesses to form Syngenta, the first global group focusing exclusively on agribusiness.

1999

Astra AB of Sweden and Zeneca Group PCL of UK merge, becoming AstraZeneca.

1998

Novartis announces the formation of NADI, the Novartis Agricultural Discovery Institute, one of the largest single research endeavours dedicated to agricultural genomics research and development.

1997

Zeneca attains the rights to chlorothalonil from ISK.

Zeneca acquires Mogen, a Netherlands-based plant Biotechnology Company.

Novartis attains the crop protection division of Merck & Co, adding the insecticide abamectin to its list of products.

1996

Zeneca offers the first GM tomato puree to customers. Tomatoes were enhanced to stay ripe in the field longer, resulting in better processing.

Zeneca Seeds and Cosun/ Royal VanderHave Group form the joint venture company Advanta.

Zeneca’s strobilurin fungicide Amistar® achieves registration.

Sandoz and Ciba merge to form Novartis in one of the largest corporate mergers in history.

1994

Zeneca is established after ICI demerges three of its businesses (Pharmaceuticals, Agrochemicals and Specialties) beginning in ’93.

1990

Ciba-Geigy AG acquires Maag Group.

1987

ICI acquires Stauffer Chemical Company.

1985

ICI launches its insecticide Karate®.

1983

ICI Seeds is formed to add seed-breeding capability to the business.

1980

Ciba establishes a special biotechnology unit.

Sandoz acquired the Zaadunie group of Holland. Sluis & Groot (S&G)was one of the prominent marketing companies of Zaadunie. S&G is one of the three brandnames within Syngenta Seeds.

1978

Introduction of systemic fungicide Ridomil by Ciba-Geigy.

1976

Sandoz attains Northrup King.

1975

Sandoz acquires Rogers Seed Company, moving into the seed market.

1974

Ciba expands into the seeds business with the acquisition of the US-based Funk Seeds International.

1973

PPL becomes fully independent from ICI agricultural division.

1970

ICI establishes ICI Americas Inc.

Ciba and Geigy merge to form Ciba-Geigy.

1964

PPL becomes apart of ICI’s Agriculture Division.

1956

Geigy introduces triazine-based herbicides (Simazine, Atrazine) allowing farmers to control weeds for the first time.

1954

A group of chemicals originally discovered in 1947 were re-evaluated by ICI, leading to the discovery and development of diquat and paraquat.

1953

PPL becomes wholly owned by ICI.

1940

Dr. Bill Templeman of ICI, at Jealott’s Hill, discovers the selective properties of alphanapthylacetic acid, leading to the synthesis of the herbicides MCPA AND 2,4-D.

1939

Paul Müller, a Geigy researcher, discovers the insecticidal efficacy of DDT.

1937

Plant Production Limited (PPL) is formed as a fifty-fifty joint company between ICI and Cooper McDougall & Robertson Ltd.

1935

Geigy production of insecticides.

1928

ICI begins work on the Agricultural Research Station at Jealott’s Hill in the UK.

1926

Imperial Chemical Industries is formed with merger of Brunner Mond Ltd, Nobel Industries, British Dyestuffs Coronation Ltd, and United Alkali Co. Ltd.

1884

Ciba is established.

1876

Sandoz is founded.

1758

Geigy is founded.