GLOBAL- Cargill and Solidaridad, an international civil society organization, have announced a partnership that will span five countries, aimed at improving the well-being of farmers, promoting environmentally friendly farming practices, responsible land use, and conservation efforts in the soy and palm oil supply chains.
This three-year program, valued at US$4.6 million, signifies an increased level of cooperation between the two organizations, benefiting approximately 3,400 farmers across Latin America and Asia.
The initial program will include soybean and palm oil producers from five countries, namely Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Malaysia, and Paraguay.
The effort centers on three key themes: climate, land use, and farmer well-being. Activities include training in effective agricultural techniques, assisting farmers in obtaining sustainability certifications, improving productivity and market entry, and advocating for responsible land and water management.
“At Cargill, we are committed to engaging with farmers around the world to transform agriculture supply chains to be more sustainable and inclusive. With partners like Solidaridad, we can continue to make this a reality. This new program will enable us to support more farmers and farming communities in adopting sustainable practices and building up their farming businesses,” said Taryn Davis, Strategic Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement at Cargill. “We are excited about this new phase of work and the transformative power of partnership.”
Cargill and Solidaridad have worked together for over a decade at a regional and local level to advance sustainable practices and partner with farmers to improve livelihoods while conserving natural resources.
This new global partnership will be rooted in common goals across all regions, allowing more resources to be dedicated to program work with farmers.
“Given our years of work together on various projects, this partnership is a strategic shift that will align our efforts and apply learnings to spread impact wider,” said Michaelyn Baur, the Managing Director of Solidaridad North America.
Optimizing innovation
Beyond the primary goals of the partnership, Solidaridad and Cargill aim to improve farmers’ position in the market by providing training on agricultural and sustainability practices.
The partnership will apply innovative approaches to help farmers reduce carbon emissions and implement regenerative practices, allowing them to access high-value carbon markets. This partnership leverages the expertise of Solidaridad and Cargill to assist farmers in developing greater resiliency and accessing this expanding market.
The partnership also promotes fair digital inclusion as the increasing demand for farmer data presents complex challenges around data privacy, security, and ethics.
Most farmers have limited access to and understanding of how to benefit from their own data. Empowering farmers to benefit from data sharing and maintain control over their information is crucial for complete digital inclusion.
“The global food system begins on the farm. By ensuring that farmers have what they need to succeed and produce in a sustainable manner, the Cargill and Solidaridad partnership contributes to responsible and safe supply chains that nourish people and protect the planet,” read a press release by the partners.
