Switzerland-based agritech company Syngenta has opened access to its AI-powered Cropwise digital platform for third-party developers worldwide. The move aims to accelerate the digital transformation of agriculture by fostering collaboration and innovation across the agritech ecosystem.
By allowing developers to build on Cropwise’s infrastructure, Syngenta seeks to bridge the agritech divide and remove one of the sector’s biggest barriers to solution building, limited access to integrated digital tools and data.
Launched in 2020, Syngenta’s Cropwise digital platform is a suite of integrated digital farming solutions that uses data, AI, and agricultural technology to help farmers make data-driven decisions to optimize their farm operations, improve yields, and enhance sustainability.
The agriculture sector stands at a tipping point. Climate pressures, global market volatility, and the urgent need to promote sustainable farming practices mean that technology adoption can no longer be optional
Through Cropwise open platform, the company aims to enable developers to integrate their innovations across more than 70 million hectares powered, helping make digital agriculture more accessible, reliable, and inclusive for farmers worldwide.They can also integrate advanced agronomic models into new tools and applications, helping farmers benefit from smarter, connected agricultural technologies.
Study Highlights Agritech Inequity
Cropwise open platform will enable everyone in the ecosystem to develop data-driven applications for tackling real-world farming challenges. Farmers will retain control of their data, while tapping into an ecosystem built around the Cropwise platform.
Syngenta, in collaboration with market research and consulting firm Ipsos, has conducted a study highlighting the growing need to close the technological gap within the agricultural sector. According to the findings, there is an expanding technology access divide between large and small farms. While larger enterprises are rapidly adopting AI-driven solutions and advanced digital tools, smaller farmers risk being left behind, limiting their ability to benefit from the ongoing digital transformation in agriculture.
The research also revealed that while younger farmers are quick to embrace technological advances, many older farmers perceive AI as complex or inaccessible, often unaware that they are already engaging with such technologies through tools like drones, sensors, or satellite imagery systems. According to the study, trust, data control, and proof of local results have emerged as the most influential factors driving farmers’ willingness to adopt digital solutions.
AI as Agri Equilizer
Feroz Sheikh, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Syngenta, stated that AI can be the great equalizer in agriculture but only if it’s accessible, affordable, and trusted. He further added that by opening Cropwise developer capabilities, Synenta hopes to create a network with farmers at the center, and ensure that digital innovation benefits every farmer, not just those with the biggest fields or budgets.
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He further noted that the Cropwise open platform marks an important step toward bridging inequities in the adoption of agricultural technology. He explained that by creating an open ecosystem that merges Syngenta’s deep agricultural expertise with advanced digital capabilities, the company is enabling third-party developers to build new solutions on top of Cropwise.
This approach, he added, allows farmers to choose applications that best meet their needs while maintaining full control over their data, reinforcing Syngenta’s commitment to a more open, inclusive, and farmer-centric digital agriculture ecosystem.
Cropwise for Inclusive Digital Agriculture
The opening of the Cropwise platform could marks a defining moment in Syngenta’s digital journey, positioning it as a catalyst for greater technological inclusivity in agriculture. By allowing developers to integrate directly with Cropwise, the initiative can accelerate the creation of locally relevant, data-driven solutions that address challenges such as climate variability, crop productivity, and resource efficiency.
With access to a network spanning more than 70 million hectares, the platform has the potential to bring the benefits of precision agriculture to farmers of all scales, helping narrow the technology divide between large and smallholders. As Syngenta gathers and integrates farm-level data through Cropwise, the company is expected to leverage these insights to strengthen agronomic recommendations, enhance transparency, and improve sustainability outcomes.
While the initiative promotes openness and collaboration, it will potentially consolidate vast amounts of farm-level data within Syngenta’s ecosystem, strengthening its market position and providing a competitive edge in data-driven agricultural solutions.
Ultimately, the Cropwise open platform reinforces a collaborative model for digital agriculture one built on shared innovation, interoperability, and farmer empowerment.