Spotlight on the 2026 AgriBusiness Global Visionary Award Winners (Part 3)
17 May 2026 As part of the AgriBusiness Global 2026 Visionary Awards, ABG asked 2026’s 20 winners about how they’ve transformed challenges into opportunities throughout their careers, how they’re using technology, and more.
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The honorees, who exemplify foresight, flexibility, and innovation, were chosen by the AgriBusiness Global Advisory Board and an internal team at Meister Media Worldwide.
Over the next month, AgriBusiness Global will feature five winners each week. In this part, we feature Tom Mason, Chairman, Metson World; Dr. Mike Morris, Founder & Director, Andermatt PHP; Vijay Mundhra, Founder & Chairman, Willowood Group; Yanyong Prathuangwong, Founder & Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sotus International Co., Ltd.; and Dr. Antoine Puech, CEO & Chairman, Maximum Economic Yield Corp.
Tom Mason
Chairman
Metson World
ABG: What trends are you noticing in the market, and how are you navigating those trends?
Mason: One trend I am seeing is the rising tank-mix complexity and compatibility pressure. As programs combine conventional chemistry with biocontrols, biochemicals, and biostimulants, tank compatibility has become mission critical rather than a “nice to have.”
A second trend is adjuvants moving from an add-on to a core strategy. High-performance adjuvants are no longer just “helpers,” but a strategic lever to improve water conditioning, optimize uptake, and reduce salt loads.
Lastly, artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven agronomy are becoming essential. AI is finally moving beyond marketing hype into practical decision support for agronomists and farmers.
TIPS
For tank-mix compatibility, companies need to understand water quality, product mixing sequence, and the role of modern adjuvants in maintaining stability and efficacy across more complex mixes.
There is importance in understanding and being selective about the right adjuvant strategy to unlock performance from existing actives, extend their life, and support stewardship in increasingly scrutinized regulatory environments.
For AI, the real value lies in integrating climatic, soil, nutritional, and cropping data into streamlined tools that guide program design rather than simply generating more dashboards.
Another tip for companies is about bioplastics, which are working toward one-tank product solutions for application ease and a reduction in shipping and handling, as well as the advancement of e-commerce to close the gap between manufacturers and farmers for improved market access.
ABG: How have you turned challenges into opportunities throughout your career? How are you using technology at your company?
Mason: Metson has invested heavily in technology to transform both our product offering and our role in the market. Through improved laboratory and extraction methods, we have developed a range of biostimulants that enhance the bioactive compounds in our raw materials, delivering measurable crop benefits beyond the typical claims of containing cytokinin and auxins. This patented extraction technology has been extended beyond conventional seaweed extractions, positioning Metson as a major player in the biostimulant market in South Africa and in selected export territories.
Over the last decade, tightening environmental regulations, volatile input costs and increasing climate stress on crops have challenged conventional approaches to crop nutrition and protection. We have turned these pressures into opportunities by building in‑house research and development (R&D) and using data from field trials and farmer feedback to continually refine our formulations. In parallel, advances in managing chemical and heat reactions in our manufacturing have enabled a world‑first, highly concentrated adjuvant that is redefining and diminishing the role that ammonium sulphate plays in crop protection and nutritional applications, helping growers achieve superior performance with a lower salt load and a smaller environmental footprint.
Dr. Mike Morris
Founder & Director
Andermatt PHP
ABG: What trends are you noticing in the market, and how are you navigating those trends?
Morris: For trends, first there’s continuing development of resistance to and the removal of chemical products from the market. Effective alternative products and strategies are needed.
Second, there’s a growing awareness of deteriorating soil conditions in some areas and the need to revitalize the soils by improving the organic and microbial content. Part of the solution to this is the removal of products and practices responsible for this deterioration and their replacement with more environmentally friendly solutions.
Third, companies are starting to look at the use of RNA and other molecules to stimulate a plant’s natural resistance mechanisms and other natural processes.
TIPS
We need to keep open minds, think broadly, and continue to investigate and use the natural processes already out there.
ABG: How have you turned challenges into opportunities throughout your career? How are you using technology at your company?
Morris: Scaling up production of living organisms, like fungi and bacteria, to meet the global demand requires constant innovation, adaptation, and adoption of existing and new technologies. Each new organism added to the portfolio of products requires a whole new production system. This requires a team of researchers constantly working to improve and develop new production technologies.
To get a stable, viable, effective, easy to use, living product onto the market that can be shipped and stored under relatively simple storage conditions with a minimum of a two-year shelf life requires a whole new science of harvesting, formulation, and packaging. So far, in this field, the technology is far from perfect and needs a lot of innovative development. However, each improvement that we are making, enhances the competitiveness of our products in the market.
Living, biological crop protection products are not always as simple as chemical pesticides to use. It is, therefore, important to educate the farmers and the distributors in the use of the products. Short videos (and other IT methods) showing the life cycles of the pests, most susceptible stages to target, and other factors affecting the product/pest interactions are effective ways of doing this.
Vijay Mundhra
Founder & Chairman
Willowood Group
ABG: What trends are you noticing in the market, and how are you navigating those trends?
Mundhra: An important trend to watch is artificial intelligence. It will play critical role in bringing out newer active ingredients and chemistries shortening the discovery lead time and optimizing the existing products in terms of quality and efficiency.
A second trend is biologicals. The current generation aspires to make available high-quality food inputs with low contamination and residues. Biological products become sought after for this reason, and with Europe banning so many of conventional chemical crop protection products and biologicals being promoted globally, this becomes a very interesting area to look at with phenomenal growth potential while challenges abound due to stability issues.
A third trend is crop and soil nutrition. With continuous use of chemical fertilizers and crop protection chemicals, soil in farmland has become deficient in variety of minerals. This depletion of minerals needs products to improve soil quality as well as nutritional supplements for plants.
TIPS
Businesses will have to look into these two aspects. The first is IPM. To mitigate resistance and improve the quality of produce, companies should create a portfolio comprising plant nutrition, biologicals, and mixtures of conventional chemical products as a complete offering.
A second tip is to leverage technology to improve the discovery pipeline for mitigating resistance and targeted applications.
ABG: How have you turned challenges into opportunities throughout your career? How are you using technology at your company?
Mundhra: Willowood since inception is committed on bringing research based patent and innovative crop solutions pivotal for sustainable agriculture. We have leveraged our state-of-the-art R&D center to develop these innovative solutions and have been offering four to five innovative solutions every year.
Availability, accessibility, and affordability are the three cornerstones we focus on. To give impetus to indigenous manufacturing and reduce import reliance, we have started in-house manufacturing of active ingredients.
We have been working intensively on soil health. We started our India operations by educating the farmers on the importance of soil health in ensuring sustainable agriculture. We facilitated farm to farm free soil testing to educate farmers on optimum use of nutrients and ways to rejuvenate the soil health.
Agriculture landscape is uncertain and dependency on external factors makes it precarious. Our endeavors have been to ensure higher yield at a minimal cost. We take pride in offering novel combination chemistries which substitutes the need for repeated sprays and bringing down the chemical load in the longer run. We are producing and marketing patented biostimulants to improve yields and quality of produce. Our vision is to feed the growing global population using research based, integrated crop solutions.
Yanyong Prathuangwong
Founder & Chairman of the Board of Directors
Sotus International Co., Ltd.
ABG: What trends are you noticing in the market, and how are you navigating those trends?
Prathuangwong: For 2026, I believe the crop protection industry is entering a new phase — one that requires companies to think beyond products and focus more on integrated solutions, sustainability, and long-term value creation for farmers.
The first major trend is the rapid growth of biological solutions, especially biopesticides. Farmers, regulators, and the market are all placing greater emphasis on sustainability, food safety, and responsible crop production. Biological products are becoming an increasingly important part of modern crop protection programs, not as a replacement for everything conventional, but as a complementary and strategic solution.
The second trend is the rise of precision agriculture and smarter input application. Farmers today are under pressure to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and manage costs more carefully. As a result, technologies that support better timing, more precise application, and stronger decision-making will become increasingly important. The future belongs to companies that can combine product performance with knowledge, data, and practical field support.
The third trend is the growing impact of climate volatility. Unpredictable weather, changing pest pressure, and increased disease challenges are making farming more complex than ever. At the same time, global standards on residue management, traceability, and stewardship continue to rise. This means crop protection companies must evolve from being product suppliers into trusted partners that can help farmers manage risk, improve productivity, and farm more responsibly.
TIPS
My first recommendation is to invest in innovation with balance and vision. Companies should not depend on only one approach. They must build a portfolio that combines conventional chemistry, biological solutions, and modern technology in a way that is practical and effective in real farming conditions.
My second recommendation is to stay close to the farmer. In our industry, success does not come from innovation alone. It comes from understanding the realities in the field, providing strong technical support, and building trust over time. Farmers are not only looking for products, but they are also looking for reliable partners who can help them succeed in an increasingly complex environment. I believe the future of our industry will belong to companies that combine innovation with responsibility and progress with genuine care for the farming community.
ABG: How have you turned challenges into opportunities throughout your career? How are you using technology at your company?
Prathuangwong: At Sotus, I have always believed that technology should not be adopted simply because it is new, but because it creates meaningful value for farmers, strengthens the organization, and prepares the business for the future. My philosophy has been to continuously bring the latest technologies into Thailand’s crop production industry, while ensuring that innovation is practical, relevant, and accessible to the people who depend on it most.
For us, technology begins with a mindset. We have consistently looked for better ways to improve product quality, production efficiency, supply chain visibility, and customer service. Nearly 20 years ago, Sotus became one of the first companies in our industry to implement SAP ERP. At that time, it was a bold step, but I believed digital systems would become essential for sustainable growth. That decision helped us strengthen our production planning, inventory management, quality control, and overall operational discipline. More importantly, it gave us a stronger foundation to scale with confidence.
Over the last decade, I have also learned that true leadership is not tested in times of comfort, but in times of disruption. Every major challenge has forced us to think differently, move faster, and become better. During the COVID period, when consumer behavior changed and people spent more time at home, we saw not only difficulty, but also opportunity. We responded by expanding into the home and consumer market, offering home-use fertilizers and crop protection solutions that met a new and growing need. What could have been a period of uncertainty became a period of innovation and diversification for SOTUS.
This is how I have always tried to lead the company: by staying open to change, acting decisively, and turning challenges into opportunities for long-term growth. Technology is an important part of that journey, but in the end, it is our willingness to adapt, to learn, and to serve the market better that continues to move us forward.
Dr. Antoine Puech
CEO & Chairman, Maximum Economic Yield Corp.
ABG: What trends are you noticing in the market, and how are you navigating those trends?
Puech: Three of the most disturbing trends are the rising costs of crop inputs, the financial deterioration of the farm economy, and the pending reorganizations of many of the multinational research and development companies.
TIPS
Keep costs low and strengthen your existing customer relationships.
ABG: How have you turned challenges into opportunities throughout your career? How are you using technology at your company?
Puech: We are constantly challenged to be more cost competitive in the generic crop protection market and more recently by the very real challenges imposed by tariffs and the increased cost of raw materials arising from the war in Iran. This requires more cost efficiency and lean manufacturing. We partner with more cost effective suppliers and have increased automation in our manufacturing.
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