October 15, 2021
ARTICLEEnsuring we can feed the world’s growing population in the years to come requires collaboration. Key to that is public-private-producer partnerships, which support agricultural development, gender equity, and nutritious food systems.
Partners agree to share the risk, responsibilities, and benefits of their joint investments to increase agricultural productivity and sustainability, improving the lives of producers and rural communities.
In Zambia, Corteva Agriscience is embarking on an initiative to enrich lives and catalyze the growth of the agriculture sector with public and private partners through the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Zambia Emerging Farmers Partnership.
The project aims to increase the productivity and incomes of 10,000 emerging farmers who cultivate 20 to 60 hectares of land. Together with the USAID, John Deere, and Global Communities, Corteva is providing training on sustainable farming practices, increasing access to technologies and capital, and developing market linkages.
Through this unique collaboration, agronomists from Corteva are working directly with emerging farmers to increase the adoption of improved agricultural technologies such as hybrid seeds, as well as enhance their farming practices. Corteva is also leading hundreds of demonstration plots and providing trial products to farmers. More than thirty percent of the emerging farmers benefiting from this partnership are women.
The partnership will leverage over US $37 million in loans for inputs and equipment. More than 50,000 hectares of crops will be planted using climate-adaptive seeds and other sustainable technologies.
This initiative is part of Corteva’s efforts to achieve its 2030 sustainability goals. Corteva is committed to increasing the productivity, incomes, and sustainable farming practices of 500 million smallholder farmers by 2030 and empowering women and youth in their communities.