PepsiCo and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) this week acknowledged and awarded six women potato farmers as part of its ‘Women’s Land Rights and Economic Empowerment’ activity in West Bengal.
According to an Agri News Network (ANN) report, the farmers were selected for their extraordinary work in the field of agriculture, and for breaking stereotypes in their local communities.
PepsiCo in India has been working towards positively impacting the lives of farmers including women. In 2019, PepsiCo and USAID launched the Women’s Land Rights and Economic Empowerment activity to provide training to women in agriculture as part of its collaborative farming supply chain. Through this partnership, the program has trained more than 1000 women in potato agronomy and sustainable farming practices, with a goal of reaching 500 additional women farmers in its final year.
Speaking at the occasion Melinda Pavek, Consul General, U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata said, “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate both PepsiCo and USAID for running this program in West Bengal so effectively. Such programs go a long way in removing the structural inequalities and helping women farmers realize their immense potential.”
PepsiCo procures around 70 per cent of its total potato requirement for food processing from nearly 27,000 farmers in West Bengal, company officials said.
Source: ANN. Read an extensive report here
Photo: Credit and courtesy ANN
