Exclusive Video: Syngenta’s Feroz Sheikh, Tech for a Purpose
Technology has a key role to play in solving key societal problems facing us today. The world's population continues to grow, and by 2050, we will need to feed 10bn people.
At the same time, 25% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture. It is clear that agriculture needs to transform to ensure food security for everyone and fight climate change, and this transformation will be led by technology.
To discuss this, Feroz Sheikh, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Syngenta, spoke at Tech Live VIRTUAL to outline some of the ways technology can solve these problems: from computer vision to advanced algorithms.
Technology for a Purpose – Food Security and Climate Change
Feroz Sheikh, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Syngenta, joined the organisation in 2018 and has been responsible for building digital platforms and products as part of Syngenta’s digital transformation.
He has led teams of engineers, computer scientists and data scientists to put digital innovation into the hands of farmers and has played a major role in the design and deployment of Cropwise – Syngenta’s digital technology platform. He took on his current role in December 2021.
Opening Stage One at Tech LIVE Virtual London, Sheikh spoke on the positive role technology can play in food security and climate change.
Describing the role of technology to unleash the equivalent of an island for agriculture, Sheikh explains that technology has a vital role to play especially when it comes to enabling increased levels of precision.
“Technology has a big role to play in bringing this level of spatial, temporal and genetic precision. We at Syngenta are pushing forward in shifting that trajectory for agriculture ourselves.
“When you have computer vision models with proper calibration and training, these models can outperform any kind of physical manual spatial measurement. It's a simple example of an ongoing evolution in technology. You can make an impact on the practices that that have been followed through generations inside of agriculture.
“To contain the gap in CO2 emissions and to fill in that 600 million hectares of land gap, we need these advancements in technology.