About

The legal team of Syngenta, the world’s leading maker of crop chemicals, has been central to facilitating the company’s strategy for dealing with a growing global population. As the company’s aim has become more focused on working closely with farmers, NGOs and the public sector, the legal team has been instrumental in spearheading discussions on how the economy can play a larger role in food security. Christoph Mäder, head of legal and taxes, says that innovation and technology is vital in overcoming this growing problem but that initiatives to tackle the problem must also come from the private sector, with increases in productivity representing one of the more viable solutions. As part of its main ethos Syngenta is committed to rescuing farmland, making crops more efficient and improving labour safety and working conditions. The legal team has been integral to ensuring the smooth application of these commitments and has gone on to be instrumental in the partnership with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the Fair Labor association and the United States Aid Agency. In 2014 Syngenta joined with Dow AgroSciences, DuPont Pioneer and BASF in a federal suit to block the enforcement of controversial Kauai Ordinance 960, which regulates testing agrochemicals on GMO seed crops. A visit to Basel by the Kauai delegation, attended by the legal team and board of directors, resulted in widespread media coverage. This year the team will lead negotiations in the high-profile M&A deal with ChemChina. Once completed, the $43bn deal will represent the biggest Chinese foreign takeover ever.