Growing a community of agricultural leaders
Growing a community of agricultural leaders
How Syngenta is helping to develop the next generation of farmers in South Korea – who are seeing their yields thrive.
For SuWon Seo, who runs a strawberry farm in South Korea’s DamYang, Jeonnam Province, each growing season brings a unique set of challenges.
"I was very excited with the idea that various information on agriculture and pest and disease management would be shared. The biggest challenge for growing and managing crops is pest and disease monitoring and control. When growing crops, it is very important to know which crop protection products and agricultural materials to use for each stage of growth,” she says.
SuWon, age 34, has been farming for just four years. She knows that technical knowledge can make all the difference to a farmer's business, as do more experienced farmers who have spent decades amassing key agricultural knowledge. But South Korea is facing an urgent generational shift in agriculture. Today, more than half of its farmers are over the age of 65.
SuWon Seo shares her experience of Syngenta's Young Farmers Network.
With this challenge in mind, the South Korean Government has pledged to support 30,000 young farmers with subsidies and investment in education and training as part of a long-term plan to increase the number of farmers aged under 40.
The next generation of agricultural leaders
Syngenta is helping to achieve this goal through its Young Farmers Network in South Korea, which launched in 2022. The idea is simple - support young growers today, while helping them to become the agricultural leaders of tomorrow.
Every year, the program brings together farmers aged 18 to 45 who are decision-makers on their farms, open to innovation, and have the potential to become local opinion leaders. However, this is not a program that starts and ends with a workshop. Young farmers receive year-round support, including one-to-one agronomy consulting, crop-specific advice, product samples and recommendations, regular farm visits, local meetings, and networking opportunities.
For Uichan Lee, a grape farmer from Ansung, Gyeonggi Province, this hands-on regular support is particularly valuable when field conditions are rapidly changing.
Uichan explains: “The Syngenta team visited us regularly. They kept asking what challenges we were facing, and when we mentioned that downy mildew disease was severe, they immediately supported us with products for it, which was a huge help.”
Thanks to this tailored expertise, Uichan takes the agronomic advice and turns it into a tangible solution that is taken straight back to the field.
Other young farmers enrolled in Syngenta's Young Farmers Network in South Korea have also benefited from the program.
SuWon says: "With the pest and disease management at the right time and the right use of agricultural inputs at the right time, the yield was around 180 percent higher than that of conventional practices."
She continues: "When I used those products at the right time, I could realize more effects while using fewer amounts."
Another farmer, Jinsil Kwon, a lettuce grower from Nonsan, Chungcheong Province, says: "By using professional crop protection products, virus incidence was reduced by about 50 percent, which helped increase our sales.
"Connecting with young farmers from other regions through the Syngenta Korea Young Farmers Network has been especially valuable, creating a practical space to exchange information and learn from one another. The crop protection product support from Syngenta, together with regular technical consultations, has also helped us make more informed decisions in the field.”
Uichan Lee is a grape farmer from Ansung, Gyeonggi Province.
Uichan Lee is a grape farmer from Ansung, Gyeonggi Province.
Uichan Lee showing off a bunch of his healthy grapes.
Uichan Lee showing off a bunch of his healthy grapes.
A growing community
Across the program, participants reported improved crop quality, reduced pest and disease damage, increased yield and income potential, and greater confidence in Syngenta solutions. More than 95 percent of young farmers reported being satisfied or more with the program, highlighting the value of continued support.
In the five years since the Young Famers Network was launched in South Korea, the program has grown from 19 farmers in the first cohort to 38 in 2026. In total, across the five years, 114 young growers have taken part.
As the network has grown, so has the opportunity for farmers to learn from each other. At the 2026 Grow Together event in Daejeon, farmers from different cohorts and regions came together to exchange agricultural knowledge, from cultivation and distribution experiences to government support programs and new technologies.
Outstanding participants of the program are recognized for having demonstrated strong engagement and achievement throughout the year.
Outstanding participants of the program are recognized for having demonstrated strong engagement and achievement throughout the year.
Rice and soybean grower Junhyung Lee from Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, says: “Meeting young farmers from across Korea facing similar challenges had been invaluable. The Grow Together event provided an open forum to exchange practical insights-from cultivation techniques and market channels to government support program-while helping to reduce the isolation that can accompany farming.
"The community’s continued connections beyond the event had been its greatest value, creating lasting relationships with agricultural partners who can support and learn from one another over the long term."
Building relationships with young farmers solidifies the foundations for long-term partnerships with growers who will shape the future of Korean agriculture. For the farmers themselves, it means having trusted agronomic partners as they navigate the realities of building a farm and a future.
As SuWon says: “I absolutely recommend participating in the Young Farmers Network program.”
