India
Even though the majority of India's population is engaged in agriculture and related activities, the country faces declining agricultural production and growing concerns over food security.
While India ranks among the biggest producers of soybeans in terms of total production, India's farm productivity levels are low compared to the rest of the world, with soybean yields only one third of those in the U.S. Of the more than 4 million farmers who grow soy, more than half own less than two hectares of land.
Increasing farmer productivity and improving livelihoods
In partnership with Srijan, a local nongovernmental organization, Bunge is working with small farmers near the company's oilseed-processing plant in Rajasthan to help them increase their soybean yields and improve their businesses.
The program focuses largely on women, who manage many small-scale family farming operations. Through field consultations and broader communications outreach, the effort gives these farmers access to credit and market information, better seeds and enhanced agronomic practices related to planting, irrigation, pest control and harvesting.
By teaching best practices that allow farmers to produce more crops on less land, Bunge is helping farming families in India realize the full potential of soybeans as an important cash crop while improving agricultural productivity and sustainability in the country.