1000 Farmers 1000 Abundance Program Marks Its Fifth Year

1000 Farmers 1000 Prosperity Program Enters Fifth Year Cargill's 1000 Farmers 1000 Prosperity Program, launched to increase farmer productivity and welfare and support social and digital transformation in agriculture, has entered its fifth year. Farmers participating in the program have achieved yield increases of up to 20 percent to date, and the program's social return on investment reached TRY 3.23 per TRY 1 as of 2022. In its fifth year, Cargill's 1000 Farmers 1000 Prosperity Program continues to connect farmers in Turkey with digital agriculture tools and resources needed for their production. In the new season, 100 farmers from Amasya and Tokat joined the program. 1000 Farmers 1000 Prosperity also renews its focus on regenerative agriculture through a range of free digital farming tools offered to farmers. Launched in 2019, the program aims to increase farmer productivity and welfare while developing sustainable agriculture practices. Participating farmers receive free on-farm training, access to digital agriculture tools, and advisory services tailored to their fields. As a result, farmers see yield increases of up to 20 percent while becoming less exposed to the effects of climate change. The program continues across 16 provinces with over 5,000 corn, sunflower and canola producers, covering a total area of 400,000 hectares. 1000 Farmers 1000 Prosperity, which has received nearly 40 national and international awards, is the first corporate social responsibility program in Turkey's agriculture and food sector to conduct social impact research and measurement. The environmental, social and economic impacts created by services and training provided under the program are converted to financial value using the Social Return On Investment (SROI) method. SROI has increased each year since 1000 Farmers 1000 Prosperity began, and as of 2022, the program generated an impact of TRY 3.23 for every TRY 1 on its primary stakeholders, farmers. Murat Tarakçıoğlu, Chairman and CEO of Cargill Turkey, Middle East and Africa, commented: "Through our position at the center of the agricultural supply chain, we possess a unique capability and responsibility. 1000 Farmers 1000 Prosperity is a program through which we connect and collaborate with farmers. It is an excellent example of how the food system can continue to meet the needs of the rapidly growing global population in a responsible and sustainable manner."

Encouraging greater focus on regenerative agriculture

- Farmers can monitor special irrigation, fertilization and spraying practices that help reduce disease risk and prevent soil contamination while protecting water resources. - Farmers can help reduce the environmental impact of the carbon footprint of crops in their fields. The carbon footprint in the field is calculated using the international platform Cool Farm Tool. - Additionally, farmers can identify threatening pests through PestTrap (Digital Insect Trap) without visiting the field and make spraying decisions.   Ceylan Karaoğlan, a farmer in Peşrefli, Tire district of İzmir, said the following about the program: "1000 Farmers 1000 Prosperity was a program that raised our awareness. We moved away from traditional methods and entered a period where we conduct research. Thanks to the agricultural sensor station, we easily decide when to irrigate. Thanks to this equipment, my yield increased by 100 percent. Because we do not irrigate unnecessarily, we also save water. Thanks to soil analysis and the agricultural sensor station, the quality of our crops continues to improve. If I had not participated in 1000 Farmers 1000 Prosperity, I would not be able to grow the quality corn I grow today." Murat Tarakçıoğlu, Chairman and CEO of Cargill Turkey, Middle East and Africa, continued: "For farmers participating in the program, we have taken concrete steps to increase regenerative agriculture and reduce environmental impact, and this allows our social impact as calculated by SROI to increase each year. Beyond the right steps that need to be taken to sustainably feed the world's population, these practices reduce costs for farmers and increase profitability by delivering productivity gains approaching 20 percent."