Syngenta’s REVERTE^? program recognized as best-in-class in Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems

At the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) recognized Syngenta Group as a leader in climate action, and recognized its REVERTE^? program as best-in-class in Transforming Agriculture and Food Systems.

REVERTE^? is designed to restore degraded pasturelands and minimize the impact on native vegetation from agriculture. The program provides farmers with a viable long-term framework that includes access to agronomic expertise and financing, while requiring strict compliance on environmental criteria. To date, it has supported the restoration of 280,000 hectares across 11 states and three biomes in Brazil. Monitoring data shows that 92 percent of participating farms increased their yields in the second year of implementation, with an average gain of 9 percent over the first year.

Petra Laux, Chief Sustainability Officer at Syngenta Group, said, “REVERTE^? is one of the world’s most ambitious initiatives for restoring degraded land for agriculture. Its success in Brazil shows that strong ideals, great partners, and hard work can come together to tackle some of the toughest challenges in agriculture and global food systems.” Syngenta aims to restore 1 million hectares of degraded land across Brazil by 2030.

At the heart of the REVERTE^? program is the promotion of regenerative agricultural practices that boost soil health, enhance carbon sequestration, and increase farm productivity. The program gives farmers comprehensive support to adopt techniques such as crop rotation, cover cropping, and no-till farming, while also providing agronomic guidance, financial assistance, and access to innovative agricultural technologies, making the transition both 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, 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.