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Walmart Foundation to support farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka
Initiative Aims to Empower Smallholder Farmers and Enhance Market Engagement
Farmer Producer Organization /
S M Sehgal Foundation, in collaboration with the Walmart Foundation, has announced the extension of its 'Bolstering Farmer Producer Organizations' project into Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. This initiative, initially launched in 2023 with a US$1.5 million grant from the Walmart Foundation, aims to enhance the capabilities of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), promote climate-resilient practices, and develop infrastructure to add value to crop production.
Julie Gehrki, the Chief Operating Officer of Walmart Foundation, expressed excitement about supporting the second phase of the project, emphasizing the importance of strengthening FPOs to create more opportunities for smallholder farmers in India.
“We are excited to support S M Sehgal Foundation for the second phase of the ‘Bolstering FPOs project. We believe strengthening FPOs can enable more opportunities for smallholder farmers in India with capacity building at the core. Additionally, developing transparent structures, designing and implementing business models and establishing collaborations will help ensure more sustainable operations and outcomes,” said Gehrki.
The first phase of the project, spanning from 2021 to 2023, impacted 10 FPOs, with 8,000 existing members strengthened and 2,000 new members added. Notably, one-third of the leadership roles within these FPOs were held by women. Key interventions included knowledge dissemination on agronomic practices, livelihood opportunities, business development, marketing strategies, digitization, and financial inclusion.
The upcoming phase aims to build upon these achievements, focusing on preparing FPOs for market engagement through targeted initiatives. This includes advanced training and support to ensure FPOs are not only self-sufficient but also market-ready to meet the dynamic demands of the agricultural sector, with a particular focus on empowering women producers.
“The vision is for FPOs to independently undertake initiatives supported by the grant, fostering transparent and inclusive business models to create self-sustaining operations. The project also aims to provide ongoing support to members, enhancing resilience and self-reliance in agricultural communities,” said the official press release.
Anjali Makhija, Trustee and Chief Executive Officer of S M Sehgal Foundation, highlighted the significant impact of the project's first phase, particularly in increasing women's participation and engagement within FPOs.
“Organizing smallholder farmers into FPOs can leverage the advantage farmers have in emerging markets. It can also help mitigate challenges faced by individual farmers, such as low market prices, high input costs and limited access to technologies and markets, among others. With support from the Walmart Foundation, the S M Sehgal Foundation continues to build the capacities of FPO members,” said Makhija.
The collaboration between S M Sehgal Foundation and various stakeholders, including grassroots groups, research bodies, academic institutions, and social enterprises, is set to create a robust support network conducive to the growth of FPOs and the agricultural sector as a whole.
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