Welcome to the
"Green Sofa"
The “Green Sofa” is the centerpiece of our multi-part series of talks on topics relating to how we eat and drink, modern agriculture and the role of plant protection in our everyday lives. Presenter Christa Rigozzi will interview experts from a diverse range of backgrounds, who all have one thing in common: they prioritize food quality and plant protection.
The episodes are complemented by scenes that provide an insight into the working environment of our guests, from the vineyard to the research laboratory. The “Green Sofa” becomes a tool to consider how we connect to our food – something we often take for granted.
Without plant protection, there is no wine
Without plant protection, there is no wine
Climate change and pests are affecting grapes in vineyards worldwide. When climatic factors change, this has an impact on the different grape varieties. "Winegrowers have to adapt to climate change when caring for their vines," says winegrower Martin Wiederkehr on the “Green Sofa”. Conversely, the effects of global warming now mean that Merlot or the old French red wine variety Malbec can now be cultivated in German-speaking Switzerland. Wiederkehr says this has only been possible in the past thirty years.
The future lies in precision agriculture
The future lies in precision agriculture
In this episode we speak to Camilla Corsi, Head of Crop Protection Research at Syngenta, from a greenhouse within our Research and Development Centre in Stein, Switzerland. Corsi, who hails from Tuscany, leads a team of over 700 scientists worldwide – she discusses the opportunities that modern science can offer for plant health and about her relationship with agriculture and food.
The consumer decides what we grow
The consumer decides what we grow
With a per capita consumption of over 10kg per year, tomatoes are not only the favorite vegetable of the Swiss, but also provide a spectacular backdrop: this time, the "Green Sofa" is set in the colorful tomato fields of Beat Bösiger, owner and managing director of Bösiger Gemüsekulturen AG. He talks to presenter Christa Rigozzi about how consumers influence his work, the balance between organic and synthetic plant protection and how bumblebees fertilize his farm’s tomato flowers.
If the wine gets sick, you should be able to intervene
If the wine gets sick, you should be able to intervene
Master of Wine Philipp Schwander has been running his own wine shop in Zurich and St. Gallen for over 20 years, selling personally-selected wines directly from vineyards, under the label "Seléction Schwander". In this episode of the "Green Sofa" he talks about wine quality criteria and current trends in the market, provides insight into conventional and organic cultivation and comments on the role of pesticides in viticulture.
Product safety is at the center of our work
Product safety is at the center of our work
"Just like us, plants sometimes get sick and then they need medicines to help them recover,” explains Luciana Rado Schumann, Head of CP Regulatory Portfolio at Syngenta. “At Syngenta, we develop medicines for plants.” Schumann and her colleagues play a crucial role in ensuring that farmers around the world can safely and sustainably protect the health of their crops.
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