Bayer and NGOs collaborate to support smallholder farmers

Farmers will benefit from expertise, technologies, and better access to markets / Solidaridad supports smallholder farmers to produce food sustainably / Triptolemos Foundation commissions UNESCO Chair to innovate global food system

At Fruit Logistica 2018 in Berlin, Bayer will sign collaboration agreements with two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) committed to supporting smallholder farmers. "80 percent of the food consumed in developing countries is produced by more than 500 million smallholder farmers. Helping them to increase their productivity in a sustainable manner is key to address food security whilst protecting the environment," says Liam Condon, Member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and President of the Crop Science Division. "That’s why we are collaborating with strong partners to ensure access to important know-how, quality products and markets."

Bayer partners with Solidaridad and Triptolemos

Bayer recently announced its collaboration with Solidaridad [https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/], an international civil society organization which aims at facilitating the development of socially responsible, ecologically sound, and profitable supply chains. Joint activities will focus on increasing smallholder productivity and viability, for example by providing training and supporting farmers to reach socio-environmental certification standards. The projects will for now focus on Central America - with anticipated geographical expansion. "This collaboration will further strengthen our existing partnership network," says Michaelyn Baur, Managing Director at Solidaridad. "Bayer’s extensive expertise in agriculture and food production allows us to achieve change that matters - for the people and the planet."

One of the first projects will aim to improve smallholder livelihoods, food security, integrated landscape management and climate change resilience through PanameriCaña [https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/program/panamericana], a platform of sugar industry and other stakeholders across Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Bayer and Solidaridad will provide approximately 1,500 smallholder sugarcane producers with better access to know-how, technology, and financing models.

Another element of the collaboration between Bayer and Solidaridad will be the implementation of the BayG.A.P. [https://www.foodchainpartnership.cropscience.bayer.com/en/BayGAP.aspx] Service Program. This program, which was set up in collaboration with GLOBALG.A.P. [https://www.globalgap.org/uk_en/index.html], supports farmers in implementing good agricultural practices and thus enables them to acquire certifications to better connect them to local or global markets. The Program enables the sustainable production of crops by focusing on the safe use of crop protection products, pollinator safety, water management, and other important measures to protect the environment and biodiversity.

The second collaboration will be with Triptolemos Foundation [http://www.triptolemos.org/en/] - an independent institution which works on achieving food safety and a more equitable global food system - to develop new training materials and programs designed to help farmers produce food in a sustainable manner. The partnership will focus on the inclusion of the Bayer certification tool BayG.A.P. [https://www.foodchainpartnership.cropscience.bayer.com/en/BayGAP.aspx] in the activities of the UNESCO Chair [http://www.triptolemos.org/en/catedra-unesco/] "Science and Innovation for Sustainable Development: Global Food Production and Safety," commissioned by Triptolemos. "Bayer shares our vision and determination to ensure sustainable production, to improve farmers’ livelihoods, and to reach global food security. We are looking forward to benefiting from their know-how in implementing good agricultural practices," says Yvonne Colomer, Director at Triptolemos Foundation.

Bayer and Triptolemos will work on expanding the BayG.A.P. [https://www.foodchainpartnership.cropscience.bayer.com/en/BayGAP.aspx] Service Program by developing additional training materials and implementing new trainings through online tools. "This will enable us to reach out to even more farmers to help them produce in a sustainable manner," says Colomer. Although joint activities will have a global scope, both parties will put a special focus on the needs of smallholder farmers in Africa, Latin-America and Asia.

Both agreements will be signed at the Bayer booth (Hall 1.2 / B-20) at Fruit Logistica 2018 on February 8, 10 am. "Partnerships and collaboration are essential if we really want to make a difference in people’s lives," says Mathias Kremer, Global Head Crop Strategies & Portfolio Management at Bayer. "Together with Solidaridad and Triptolemos we can achieve this - promote sustainable agricultural practices in different parts of the world and improve farmers’ livelihoods as well as the communities they serve."

Working together for sustainable agriculture

Collaboration is also essential for Bayer’s overall commitment to sustainability. At this year’s Fruit Logistica, Bayer will showcase different initiatives and programs that contribute to sustainable agriculture. In addition to Food Chain Partnership [https://www.foodchainpartnership.cropscience.bayer.com/], at the Bayer booth visitors can learn more about Bee Care [https://beecare.bayer.com/home], ForwardFarming [https://www.cropscience.bayer.com/en/crop-science/forwardfarming], Smallholder Farming [https://www.cropscience.bayer.com/en/crop-science/smallholder-farming], the BayG.A.P.[https://www.foodchainpartnership.cropscience.bayer.com/en/BayGAP.aspx] Service Program - and how Bayer contributes to the secure production of high-quality, healthy, and affordable fruits and vegetables.

Furthermore, Bayer will again demonstrate its collaborative approach at the Exhibitor Forum. In a series of talks by Bayer experts and external partners such as Griffith Foods [http://www.griffithfoods.com/Pages/default.aspx], Assocham India [http://www.assocham.org/] and Greenyard [https://greenyard.group/en], the company will address challenges and opportunities in fruit and vegetable production in India. The Exhibitor Forum will be taking place on February 8, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, at Fruit Logistica (CityCube).

Follow the activities at Fruit Logistica live on @Bayer4Crops [https://twitter.com/bayer4crops?lang=de] #fruitlogistica, Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/BayerCropScience/] or Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bayer4crops/].