Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
November 20, 2012
Continuing its investment in the future of agriculture, Syngenta helped select Adam Watson of the University of Florida as the 2012 recipient of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association’s (FFVA) education scholarship. Watson, who is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Food and Resource Economics, received the scholarship at the FFVA’s 69th Annual Convention at The Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Fla., on September 20, 2012. The scholarship recognizes students pursuing careers in agriculture. This is the ninth consecutive year Syngenta has sponsored the FFVA education scholarship.
"Syngenta is proud to award this scholarship in partnership with FFVA to Adam Watson,” said Josh Bohannan, Syngenta customer marketing lead. “Adam hit all the marks when explaining the technological, stewardship and farm practices required by sustainable agriculture, and he framed it appropriately as an issue that will require multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder partnerships. However, his invocation of the community ties created and nurtured by agriculture through the relationship of the farm to its labor force and customers was unique among the entries.”
Watson was born into a family of generational Florida farmers and was raised on the family farm outside of Gainesville, Fla. He knew from a young age that agriculture was a good fit for him. Upon completing his Ph.D. studies, Watson is interested in pursuing a career in agricultural market research or teaching. In addition to his own course work, Watson has served as a teaching assistant (T.A.) for three undergraduate courses and as a student tutor in a variety of different subjects for the past three years.
Scholarships are just one of the ways Syngenta invests in the future of agriculture. Since 1997, more than 100 students have participated in a Syngenta internship program in Florida. Participant responsibilities include scouting, soil sampling and collecting, analyzing and reporting on various citrus agricultural data.
Another way Syngenta contributes to the future of agriculture is through the research conducted at the Vero Beach Research Center. This Florida facility tests new and existing products to ensure their efficacy. This work helps contribute to the broad portfolio of top quality products Syngenta offers to Florida fruit and vegetable growers, including FarMore® Technology on-seed application, Durivo®, Besiege™ and Agri-Flex® insecticides, and Abound®, Ridomil Gold® and Quadris Top™ fungicides.
“Syngenta invests in the future of agriculture and students like Adam to provide a strong foundation for a sustainable planet now and into the future,” said Bohannon. “There is an ever-growing worldwide need for food, feed, fuel and fiber, and Syngenta accepts the challenge to ensure that these resources remain accessible and affordable.”
For more information about the Syngenta FFVA Scholarship, visit www.SyngentaFFVAScholarship.com
Topics
Species
