For four years the program has connected farmers with the tools and resources they need to increase yield and overall welfare.

ISTANBUL (April 11, 2023) – Cargill’s 1000 Farmers Endless Prosperity program enters its fifth year working with farmers in Türkiye, connecting them with the tools and resources to reimagine what is possible for their operations. This year the program is expanding into two new provinces, Amasya and Tokat, where 100 additional farmers are planned to participate. The program is also renewing its focus on regenerative agriculture by offering a suite of digital agricultural tools.

The program launched in 2019 to improve farmers’ livelihoods by increasing their yields and sustainable agriculture practices. Participating farmers are provided with training, access to digital agricultural tools and consultancy services tailored to their fields. As a result, they have seen yields increase by up to 20% - all while unlocking the climate change mitigating potential of their operations.

The program now covers a total of over 5,000 corn, sunflower, and canola farming operations across 21 provinces, resulting in more than 60K hectares. It has won up to 40 national and international awards and is the first program in Türkiye’s agriculture and food industry to have a social return on investment (SROI) calculation, a method of calculating the financial equivalent of the social impact created with each TRY 1 investment. The SROI has increased every year since its launch and as of 2022 shows a value of TRY 3.23 on the farmers who are key stakeholders of the program.

“From Cargill’s seat at the center of the agricultural supply chain, we have a unique ability and responsibility to engage,” says Murat Tarakçıoğlu, Cargill’s FIBI META MD. “The 1000 Farmers Endless Prosperity Program is a great example of how connecting and collaborating with farmers can ensure that the food system continues to meet the needs of a growing population in a responsible and sustainable way.”

The program is renewing its focus on regenerative agriculture this year by connecting farmers with several practices:

• Participants can follow a field-specific irrigation, fertilization, and spraying program which helps them reduce the risk of disease and prevent soil pollution - while also saving critical resources such as water.
  
  
• In addition, farmers' carbon footprints are calculated based on their crops in the field using a new international platform Cool Farm Tool, helping them to make more informed decisions on the farm that reduce their environmental impact. They can now also recognize threatening pests and make spraying decisions without going to the field with new technology Pest Trap.

Participant farmer Ceylan Karaoğlan, İzmir/Tire/Peşrefli said: “1000 Farmers Endless Prosperity Program helped us move away from traditional methods and instead enter a period of research. The agricultural sensor station helps us to decide when to irrigate, increasing productivity and saving water. Thanks to soil analysis and the agricultural sensor station, the quality of our products continues to increase. If I had not participated in the program, I could not grow the quality corn I do today."                                                                     

Cargill’s Tarakçıoğlu adds, “We have taken concrete steps to increase regenerative agriculture and reduce the environmental impact for participating farmers, allowing us to annually increase the impact of our social impact as calculated by SROI. Beyond being the right thing to do to help feed the world in a sustainable way, these practices decrease costs for farmers and increase profitability with nearly a 20% increase in yields.”

Looking ahead, the 1000 Farmers Endless Prosperity program will be increasing all sustainability focused efforts. Trainings in occupational health and safety in the field and regenerative agriculture will continue to be provided.

Cargill is honored to continue to ensure that farmers in Türkiye have the tools and resources they need to reimagine what is possible for their operations, livelihoods, and communities.

Notes to editors:

The 1000 Farmers Endless Prosperity program published its 2^nd Progress Report to share its sustainability performance and impact more comprehensively. This report provides nonfinancial data to demonstrate and assess the progress and the long-term value of the program and features the views of various stakeholder institutions and organizations, particularly the farmers participating in the program. It is accessible at:

 https://www.1000ciftci1000bereket.com/

 https://www.1000ciftci1000bereket.com/en

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