Company History
In its present form, Syngenta is a young company. But it stems from an industrial tradition going back almost 250 years. We are proud of that heritage, and of the many milestones en route to today's leading position worldwide. Tomorrow starts by building on them further.
| 2008 |
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 reinforces vegetable seeds with Zeraim Gedera acquisition. Syngenta to take stake in Sanbei, Chinese seeds company. Syngenta to acquire Fischer, leading European flowers company. Syngenta and Diversa agree on new R&D partnership to discover enzymes for biofuels. |
| 2006 |
Syngenta to acquire Emergent Genetics Vegetable A/S. |
| 2005 |
Syngenta and COMPO in strategic alliance for consumer lawn and garden products. Syngenta and Sumitomo enter herbicide license agreement. |
| 2004 |
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. |
