Q&A with Eric Boeck, regional director, North America Seeds, Syngenta

An interest in technology turned Eric Boeck toward the seed industry early in his career. Membership in FFA and 4-H and years helping on his family’s Denison, Iowa, farm had nurtured his roots in agriculture even before graduating from Iowa State University with an animal science degree. 

“During college I really got exposed to the biotech wave,” Boeck says. “I flipped over to the seed industry coming out of Iowa State because of that wave. Technology has really driven my career in the 28 years I’ve been in the seed business.”

Today, Boeck serves as the regional director, North America Seeds for Syngenta, a role that combines his years of leadership experience with innovations in seed technology. 

SF: What about the seed industry excites you right now? 

EB: There is a real “collaboration mind-set” building across agriculture. You’re seeing more partnerships not just between value chain players, but across the seed industry. For Syngenta Seeds, I’m most excited about the focus we have on being the best collaborator in the industry — collaborating with our sellers, our retail partners, our licensee partners and farmers, as well as research universities and start-ups to drive innovation. I know that sounds cliché, but we’re actually putting it into action with things like GHX by Golden Harvest. For too long, the industry has presented farmers very specific ways for how they buy seed because of who the seed industry is. With GHX, we’ve taken a completely different approach by talking to farmers and asking them what their ideal seed-buying experience is. We’ve put that into action so they have success on their acres.

SF: What challenges does the seed industry face?

EB: Making sure there is a strong demand for commodities is a key part of success for agriculture in the future. The end consumer has a much more prominent voice in agriculture. As we think about regenerative agriculture and sustainability, that’s a place that we’re investigating and investing resources. We’re deeply involved in how we help farmers be more successful and more productive using our products in a sustainable way with platforms like our Cropwise and GHX mobile apps.

SF: How is Syngenta adopting new technologies and staying up to date? 

EB: Technology comes in a lot of different ways. Technology can be genetics, and one of the key places that we’ve been able to really help farmers be successful is in our soybean platform. We were the first to bring the Enlist E3 platform in our proprietary genetics and at the same time did so with the Xtend platform. We pride ourselves in giving farmers a choice of weed control options in the industry’s best genetics. 

Technology behind the scenes that folks don’t see a lot is the ability to have a conventional breeding program with our soybeans and then be able to integrate traits so quickly. 

I also see technology in the digital apps that we’re working with. These apps allow farmers to get more out of the products they’re planting, because they’re getting each product in the right field at the right population. 

SF: What keeps you motivated to work in the agriculture industry?

EB: I’ve never been more energetic about my career and my involvement in agriculture than I am right now. Seeing how the industry is evolving and being a part of that modernization is exciting. I think what keeps me really motivated is the farmer and the people on our team who serve the farmer. When you really think about it, the agriculture community is a small club. It’s a small subset of people with a huge responsibility in feeding the world. I’m in it for them, and that’s what keeps me really excited.

SF bio

Eric Boeck has a bachelor’s in animal science from Iowa State University. Boeck developed a passion for agriculture and leadership through participation in 4-H and FFA, even serving as an Iowa State FFA officer. He started his career with Pioneer, spending nearly 25 years in roles including communications and sales. Boeck joined the Syngenta team in 2018 and is now the regional director for the North American seed division.