A new partnership will combine mycorrhizal biological products with a soil carbon program, giving growers access to crop performance benefits while creating opportunities to generate carbon credit revenue.

Syngenta and Groundwork BioAg have formed a strategic partnership under which Syngenta will commercialize Groundwork’s mycorrhiza-based biological products and soil carbon solutions under its own brand. The offering will initially focus on corn, soybeans, cereals and sunflower in Latin America and Europe.

Groundwork BioAg will manufacture the products, manage supply and digital tools, and oversee the carbon program.

The companies say the mycorrhizal fungi improve nutrient and water uptake by forming beneficial relationships with crop roots, helping crops better withstand environmental stress while supporting soil health. The partnership also aims to help growers generate carbon credits through increased soil carbon storage.

“The model we’ve built with Groundwork BioAg goes beyond farming carbon – it builds resilience, restores soil health, and accumulates long term carbon stocks at a remarkable pace, while generating carbon credits from which farmers directly benefit,” said Petra Laux, chief sustainability officer of Syngenta Group. “We see this as a natural evolution of what carbon programs can achieve. This new offering perfectly fits within Syngenta’s sustainability goal of supporting farmers to produce higher yield while lowering their impact on the environment.”

Groundwork BioAg CEO Alon Werber said the collaboration combines the strengths of both companies.

“By combining Syngenta’s market access with our proven mycorrhizal capabilities, we are positioning mycorrhizal fungi as both a valuable agronomic input and a significant pathway for agricultural climate mitigation through our end-to-end carbon program.”

Emilhano Lima, Syngenta’s global head of Seedcare and Biologicals, said the agreement reflects the growing role of biological products in crop production.

“This partnership reflects how biologicals are increasingly becoming a central part of agriculture. Nature-inspired solutions give farmers effective, reliable tools, while also providing concrete agronomical returns.”

Soil carbon sequestration occurs when carbon dioxide captured by plants through photosynthesis is stored in the soil through biological processes. According to the companies, mycorrhizal fungi help increase long-term carbon storage by promoting the formation of stable organic matter in the soil. In addition to supporting carbon sequestration, soils with higher organic carbon levels typically retain more water, improve nutrient availability and are more resilient to drought and erosion.