Walmart Foundation aims to reach 1 million farmers to improve livelihood
2 min read 22 Mar 2023, 09:19 PM ISTThe organisation will invest $3 million to reach 24 FPOs and 30,000 smallholder farmers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, while another $533,876 grant will be used to reach 1,000 women smallholder farmers in Odisha, connecting them with two FPOs
PremiumExpanding its commitment to improving farmer livelihoods in India, Walmart Foundation on Wednesday announced that it aims to reach an additional 1 million farmers, including 50% women, by 2028.
As part of its 5-year strategy, the organisation will invest $3 million to reach 24 FPOs and 30,000 smallholder farmers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, while another $533,876 grant will be used to reach 1,000 women smallholder farmers in Odisha, connecting them with two FPOs.
“The Walmart Foundation’s latest commitment will support over 800,000 smallholder farmers and give them market access, which will help create shared value for all stakeholders," Kathleen McLaughlin, Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at the philanthropic organisation said, while addressing a conference in New Delhi.
With a special focus to benefit women farmers, Walmart Foundation aims to train smallholder farmers on sustainable farming methods and technology across several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, and to boost their incomes through the new set of grants.
Additionally, the grants will focus on enabling local grantees to provide better support farmer producer organizations (FPOs), expanding access to market linkages so that they can participate in commercial opportunities more seamlessly.
“Strategic philanthropy can act as a strong instrument in rewiring yesterday’s systems and enhancing economic opportunities for smallholder farmers, while promoting the inclusion and empowerment of women." Kathleen McLaughlin said.
This five-year strategy is an extension to the Walmart Foundation’s investments since 2018 to improve livelihood of farmers in India and expand their access to commercial goods markets. The Walmart Foundation has funded philanthropic grants worth over $39 million to support smallholder farmers in India through 24 grant programs with 16 grantees across states of Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, among others. The new set of grants will start rolling out later this year.
Addressing the gathering at the conference, Flipkart Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Rajneesh Kumar said, “The company is committed to building a resilient and inclusive agribusiness supply chain."
“We know that grocery empowers local stakeholders, and, working closely with the Walmart Foundation, and programs such as Flipkart Krishi Samarth, we are creating a holistic ecosystem that helps farmers prosper by leveraging the opportunities that the digital economy presents. Helping empower women, and in this case women farmers and ensuring inclusive growth is at the center of all our initiatives," he added.
Walmart.org represents the philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. It has stores in 20 countries, employs over 2 million associates and does business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people.
