AGCO Agriculture Foundation will donate R$240 to Amigos do Bem

Resources will be allocated to distribute cashew seedlings and strengthen the capacity of small farmers in Northeast Brazil

04.08.2023 | 13:35 (UTC -3)
Flavia Amarante
Resources will be allocated to distribute cashew seedlings and strengthen the capacity of small farmers in Northeast Brazil
Resources will be allocated to distribute cashew seedlings and strengthen the capacity of small farmers in Northeast Brazil

The AGCO Agriculture Foundation (AAF), a private foundation that aims to prevent and combat hunger through sustainable agricultural development, will allocate R$240 (US$50) to the NGO Amigos do Bem. The resources will support the Project Cashew: Transformation Seedlings, which aims to develop small cashew producers in the northeastern hinterland, generating work and income and positively impacting families in extremely vulnerable situations.

The Foundation's donation will be used to purchase and distribute 30 fruit tree seedlings, cultivation kits, as well as training and training, technical support and ongoing monitoring to small farmers in the northeastern hinterland. The initiative will support 100 families, reaching more than 500 people directly and indirectly, in addition to promoting the neutralization of 500 tons of CO2 per year with the planting of cashew trees.

“The cashew seedling initiative has a direct positive impact on smallholder farmers and the environment, and most importantly, it creates a direct path to a guaranteed market for their crops,” said Roger Batkin, president of the Foundation. "This type of social impact initiative is strongly aligned with the Foundation's approach to impact programs that support food security and sustainable agricultural development in rural communities."

The cashew seedlings distributed to farmers will be planted on their own land, with a guarantee of purchasing the product at market value, encouraging the role of nut suppliers and generating direct and indirect income opportunities.

By supporting the initiative, we contribute to transforming the lives of small farmers and their families in the northeastern hinterland, strengthening local agricultural development in a sustainable way and promoting the autonomy and empowerment of these communities”, emphasizes Rodrigo Junqueira, general director of AGCO & vice-president Massey Ferguson South America.

Created in 1993, the non-profit institution Amigos do Bem promotes ongoing projects of education, job and income generation, access to water, housing and health, serving 150 thousand people, with a focus on eradicating poverty.

“The Cashew Project began in 2018, with the distribution of surplus seedlings from our plantations, so that small producers could find a source of income and subsistence, and ended up revolutionizing the cashew nut chain in the region”, comments André de Luca, director executive at Amigos do Bem. For the next five years, the objective of the institution's project is to neutralize 2,3 tons of carbon, with the planting of 150 cashew trees, in addition to impacting around 420 producers, generating income for their families.

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