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Halex GT and Syngenta Help Weed out Hunger in Iowa

3/11/2010

 
Greensboro, N.C., USA, March 11, 2010 — The Weeding out Hunger™ Road Show, part of a new campaign sponsored by Halex®GT corn herbicide and Syngenta Crop Protection, continues to make its way across the Corn Belt, recently stopping at the 2010 Iowa Agribusiness Showcase and Conference held Feb. 9-10 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. Here, the Weeding out Hunger campaign contributed $1,500 to help feed the hungry in local communities.
 
According to the USDA, more than 49 million Americans, one in six people, are food insecure, which means they have limited access to adequate food due to a lack of money or other resources¹.
 
In Iowa, 11.6% percent of the population is food insecure and 9.6 percent is in poverty, according to Feeding America®, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. These startling statistics prompted Syngenta to develop the Weeding out Hunger campaign in conjunction with Halex GT corn herbicide.
 
“It is going to take innovative tools like Halex GT to satisfy increasing world food needs and fulfill our mission to feed nine billion people by 2050,” said David Piñon, senior communications manager for Syngenta. “Through our investment in research and development, Syngenta is thinking globally to grow more from less, but we’re acting locally through Halex GT and Weeding out Hunger to help local food banks address the needs that surround us today.”
 
During the event, attendees were given an opportunity to register for a chance to win a $500 donation to a local Feeding America food bank of their choice on behalf of Halex GT and Weeding out Hunger.
 
Dave Coppess, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Heartland Co-op in West Des Moines, Iowa, won the drawing. He chose to donate the money to the Food Bank of Iowa.
 
“I applaud Syngenta for recognizing the global dynamics of producing enough food, fiber and fuel for the world’s growing population and putting together a localized program of action to address hunger in America,” said Coppess. “This is a perfect example of ‘thinking global, acting local,’ which I consider to be a major credo for success. These are challenging times and it's good to see companies, such as Syngenta, share their generosity with so many in need.”
 
In addition, Kendall Turner, marketing head for Syngenta Crop Protection, presented a $1,000 check to Neal Abbott, executive director of the Food Bank of Southern Iowa, Inc., on behalf of Halex GT and the Weeding out Hunger campaign.
 
“We are very excited that Syngenta has joined with Feeding America to feed the nation’s hungry,” said Abbott. “A thousand dollars is a large amount of money, but in the food bank network the value quadruples, so we’re actually feeding five or six thousand people with that amount. I’m glad that companies like Syngenta see a need and are stepping in to help.”
 
The Weeding out Hunger Road Show will make stops at various industry events and retail locations throughout the Corn Belt to support local Feeding America food banks through monetary donations and non-perishable food collection. In addition, Syngenta will donate a portion of Halex GT* corn herbicide product sales in 2010 to local food banks.
 
The Weeding out Hunger Road Show has traveled to various trade shows and industry events across the country including the Wisconsin Crop Management Conference, National No-Tillage Conference, Nebraska Agri-Business Exposition, National Farm Machinery Show, Mid-South Farm & Gin Show and Commodity Classic.
 
Halex GT is Glyphosate with Residual™, and provides a more agronomic and higher-yielding alternative to other post-emergence glyphosate herbicides. Using 3.6 pts./A will keep fields clean season long and protect yield potential.
 
Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity and supports approximately 63,000 local charitable agencies, which provide food directly to more than 25 million people in need.
 
For more information about Halex GT, the Weeding out Hunger campaign and to follow the Weeding out Hunger Road Show, visit www.weedingouthunger.com. To receive real-time updates, follow the campaign on Twitter at www.twitter.com/weedouthunger.
 
Syngenta is one of the world's leading companies with more than 25,000 employees in over 90 countries dedicated to our purpose: Bringing plant potential to life. Through
world-class science, global reach and commitment to our customers we help to increase crop productivity, protect the environment and improve health and quality of life. For more information about us please go to www.syngenta.com.
 
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Media contacts:
 
David Pinon
Syngenta Crop Protection 
(336) 632-7504 or david.pinon@syngenta.com
 
Mary Haines
Gibbs & Soell, Inc. Public Relations
(919) 870-5718 or mhaines@gibbs-soell.com
 
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©2010 Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc., 410 Swing Road, Greensboro, NC 27409. Important: Always read and follow label instructions before buying or using Syngenta products. The instructions contain important conditions of sale, including limitations of warranty and remedy. Halex®, Glyphosate with Residual™, Weeding out Hunger™ and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. 
 
¹ United States. U.S. Department of agriculture. Economic Research Service. Household Food Security in the United States, 2008/EER-83. Washington: 2009
* Donation not to exceed $100,000.
 
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