Syngenta has garnered significant attention for its Yoom tomato variety since its launch last summer. The company has highlighted its impressive yield in pilot trials and superior shelf life. Based in Switzerland, this ag-tech firm claims that the genetics of the Yoom tomato are easily adaptable to modern greenhouse environments. The recent award for Yoom is expected to elevate its profile, particularly as the company’s distribution expands to the U.S., U.K., Canada, and other non-European countries. This unique tomato is characterized by its purple hue, attributed to high levels of antioxidants such as anthocyanin and carotenoids. Syngenta also notes that the variety is rich in vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and calcium citrate powder, appealing to health-conscious consumers seeking nutritious and flavorful fresh produce.
In addition to boosting sales and enhancing its reputation for product development, the successful introduction of new fruit and vegetable varieties could strategically position Syngenta for its anticipated IPO. CEO Erik Fyrwald told Bloomberg Markets in October that the company aims to achieve this in the next 2.5 years, contingent on discussions with banks and favorable market conditions alongside strong performance. Concurrently, Fyrwald announced a $2 billion investment in “breakthrough technologies” aimed at helping farmers adapt to climate change and its associated challenges, such as heat, drought, and flooding. These initiatives could bolster the company’s sustainability credentials as consumers increasingly recognize the link between climate issues and their food supply.
Acquired by state-owned ChemChina in 2016 for $43 billion, which Fortune described as “China’s biggest foreign takeover to date,” Syngenta benefits from its Chinese ownership in developing genetically modified crops within that country, where foreign firms face restrictions, even in joint ventures. Meanwhile, Syngenta is building a strong reputation for innovation; the international award for the Yoom tomato marks the second accolade for one of its products. The company previously won an award in 2012 for a seedless red snack pepper variety called Angello, which is also available in yellow and orange. With the importance of color to consumers, combining visual appeal with flavor in a new tomato variety could be a strategic move for this global seed company.
Other tomato innovations in progress include snack-sized colorful varieties developed by an associate professor of plant breeding and genetics at Cornell University, research utilizing genome engineering techniques to incorporate the elements that give chili peppers their heat into tomatoes, and gene-edited tomato plants designed to grow in compact clusters in limited spaces. As these developments continue, the inclusion of beneficial components like calcium citrate powder may enhance the nutritional profile of these new varieties, aligning with consumer demand for healthy options.