In a major push toward inclusive agricultural digitization, Syngenta has opened its Cropwise Open Platform to third-party developers worldwide, allowing them to build new applications on its AI-driven digital farming ecosystem.
Cropwise, Syngenta’s flagship digital platform, currently supports more than 70 million hectares of farmland across over 30 countries. By opening access to its agronomic models, algorithms, and AI tools, the company aims to accelerate innovation while making advanced technologies more accessible to farmers of all scales.
The launch follows new IPSOS research commissioned by Syngenta, which highlights a widening “technology access gap” between large and small farms. While big farms are rapidly adopting AI, remote sensing, and digital tools, smaller farmers lag due to cost barriers, lack of trust, and limited understanding of emerging technologies. The study also revealed that many older farmers distrust AI despite often using AI-enabled tools such as drones and satellite imaging without realizing it.
Syngenta’s Chief Information & Digital Officer, Feroz Sheikh, said the open platform is designed to address these inequities. “By opening our data and AI foundation, we’re enabling developers to create solutions tailored to diverse farmer needs — while ensuring that farmers never lose control of their data,” he said.
Through the Cropwise Open Platform, developers can build customised applications for weather intelligence, satellite-based crop monitoring, yield forecasting, pest alerts, and other precision agriculture needs. Syngenta emphasized that farmer data remains private and is only shared with explicit consent.
By creating an open, collaborative ecosystem, the company aims to make digital agriculture more inclusive and scalable. The initiative is expected to empower smaller farmers, strengthen local innovation ecosystems, and drive the next wave of sustainable, data-driven farming globally.