UPL is the largest distributor of Africa-adapted BioSolutions and integrated offers and is the signatory of some of Africa’s most significant sustainability reporting initiatives
London, UK: UPL has published its inaugural ‘Africa Sustainability Report,’ highlighting its work over the last 12 months to improve farming systems’ environmental and social performance across the continent.
UPL is the first global agribusiness company to dedicate a standalone sustainability report for operations across Africa, drawing on its 35-year track record supporting smallholder farmers in over 30 countries. The report covers the period April 1, 2021 to March 30, 2022 and details UPL’s key achievements to create sustainable opportunities and outcomes for farmers and food value chain stakeholders across five key pillars: Stewardship & Training, Technology, Food Chain, Partnerships, and OpenHearts.
Key highlights of the report
- 11,500 farmers trained in stewardship and 21,400 trained in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
- 92 new seed varieties were launched and 69 new products registered
- 24,000 growers reached during demo days and 1 million reached through partnerships
- 41 new partnerships formalised
- 172 workdays invested by UPL employees in community engagement
Speaking on UPL’s commitments in Africa, Jai Shroff, Global CEO, UPL said, “UPL is one of the most established agricultural businesses investing in Africa, and I am very proud that we are the first global business to detail our sustainability commitment across the continent in this way. Our activities across Africa exemplify our global commitment to farmers and food systems and the importance of reimagining sustainability as a catalyst for positive change.”
Underlining the interventions made by UPL in the continent, Marcel Dreyer, Regional Head – Africa & Middle East, UPL said, “Agriculture is vital to Africa’s economies and responsible for 60 per cent of employment across the continent. Yet, the sector faces many challenges, and the continent remains a net importer of many staple foods. We are working with farmers to face these challenges and transform Africa’s food systems into efficient, resilient, and sustainable systems that deliver shared benefits for growers, their communities and our environment.”
UPL is a global provider of sustainable agriculture products and solutions, bringing biological and conventional agricultural inputs to more than 138 countries worldwide. The company is the largest distributor of Africa-adapted biosolutions and integrated offers and is the only multinational agribusiness to be a member or signatory of some of Africa’s most significant sustainability reporting initiatives, including the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI)