Corteva Empowers 2 Million Women Farmers in India by 2030

New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Global agriculture company Corteva Agriscience on Tuesday unveiled a programme aimed at empowering two million women farmers across India's agri-value chain by 2030.

The initiative seeks to bolster the role of women as farmers, researchers, and entrepreneurs through targeted support and resources.

Subroto Geed, President of Corteva Agriscience South Asia, emphasised on the critical role of women in agriculture, stating, "Women are the backbone of rural life and agriculture. We hope this focus will accelerate India's path to becoming a developed nation."

The programme's key components include promoting climate-smart practices through women-only farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and cooperatives; capacity-building and mentorship for female STEM students; and prioritising health, wellness, and financial literacy for women farmers.

At a roundtable discussion following the launch, Subha Thakur, Additional Secretary in the Union Agriculture Ministry, called for increased public-private collaboration to bring women farmers into the mainstream.

"More than half of the 14 crore farmers are women. However, their contribution goes unrecognised," Thakur noted.

Heera Lal, Special Secretary in the Uttar Pradesh government, advocated for a bottom-up approach to improve the plight of women farmers.

Meanwhile, Arun Kumar Panda from ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture stressed on the need for gender-based data in policy formulation.

While 30 per cent focus of government programmes is on women beneficiaries, experts argue that more decisive action is needed to bridge gender gap in the sector.

Ag-Hub Foundation Managing Director Kalpana Sastry Regulagedda, Earthood Executive Director Avinash Kumar, Ghar Ayee Nanhi Pari Founder and MD Ebha Singh, Viniera Vineyards FPO Director Babita Khachi, and Supreme Court advocate Arunansh B Goswami also participated in the discussion.

As India strives for agricultural sustainability and gender equity, initiatives like Corteva's programme could play a crucial role in reshaping the landscape for women farmers across the country.