Focus on sustainable agriculture: SASI and Bayer in dialogue
The Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chain Initiative (SASI) shows how cooperation with the private sector has concrete impact: At the Partner Day with Bayer, it presented how private funds and technical expertise can be used to advance sustainable agriculture.
Representatives of SASI and Bayer AG discussed possible intersections in the field of sustainable agriculture at a meeting last week. The aim of the meeting was to join forces in a professional exchange and to identify potential for cooperation between SASI and Bayer AG in the field of sustainable agriculture.
As a life science company with core businesses in the areas of health and agriculture, Bayer AG is active in 83 countries. With its company Bayer Crop Science, Bayer is a global market leader in the agricultural sector
Both sides emphasized that individual players cannot tackle the key challenges in agriculture alone. They can only be effectively addressed through cooperation between public and private sector players. This is how agriculture can be made fit for the future.
Cooperation with the private sector as the key to sustainable agriculture
SASI implements sustainable agricultural projects worldwide together with the private sector. Over 250 companies are already involved in the SASI network. This has mobilized over 75 million euros in private funds, with measurable effects. Through its work, SASI has already reached over eight million people and over 1.8 million hectares of land are now farmed more sustainably.
Sustainable agriculture is a global implementation issue. Our experience shows: When private investment is strategically integrated, impact is created. This is precisely where SASI's strength lies - we combine economic commitment with development policy goals. The dialogue with Bayer makes it clear that our roles are different but complementary
Bayer is working on various projects in the field of sustainable agriculture, for example through the Better Life Farming Alliance: The long-standing partnership between Bayer, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Netafim and Yara aims to support rural communities with numerous local and global partners. Smallholder farmers are at the center of ecosystems. In so-called Better Life Farming Centres, which are run by local agri-entrepreneurs, farmers have access to all agricultural inputs as well as training and demo plots. The centres promote profitability and ensure the financial security of smallholder farmers, their families and local communities.
Bayer is active in numerous countries in Africa and Asia, where it develops products and digital applications to increase the productivity and income of smallholder farmers. We provide them with technical solutions to reduce biotic stress on their crops and train them extensively in this area. We see cooperation opportunities for partners here - in particular to continue to make agriculture attractive for the younger generation with innovations and digital solutions.
Focus on intersections and common goals
The joint meeting revealed overlaps in the fields of work of SASI and Bayer. The next step will be to examine how the respective strengths and expertise of SASI and Bayer could be used in concrete terms to achieve greater sustainability in agriculture.
The Partner Day confirmed for us that our corporate mission of Health for all, hunger for none gives us numerous points of contact in the field of agriculture for possible cooperation with GIZ