Working with farmers to help them feed the world sustainably

Securing global food security by promoting cultivation of climate smart crops

Grain sorghum, with its natural high stability characteristics, drought and heat tolerance, and nutritional values for human and animal consumption, is a crop of the future that can face global warming and climate change.

Advanta Seeds spent decades researching the crop’s adaptability to high temperatures, harsh conditions and ultimately resistance to drought. Our genetics are tested and adapted to the local climate. With climate uncertainty and environmental conditions becoming more challenging, sorghum is perfectly positioned to step into the void of other crops becoming more difficult to grow.

For example, reduced water availability for traditionally grown crops makes more growers turn to sorghum. Sorghum has low water requirements and high drought tolerance. In many regions of Europe, South America or Asia, sorghum is a relatively new crop. Still, the demand is growing, and more farmers start to grow sorghum.

R&D centers in America, Africa, India, Thailand, Australia, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, Argentina and Ukraine to deliver tailored solutions for regions. We are developing climate-smart crops resilient to drought, high temperatures and extreme weather conditions.

Timeline : Initiated in 2019

Goal : To adapt sorghum and make it sustain drought in various geographies, high temperatures or other extreme weather conditions

Hybridization of sunflower in Tanzania

As part of our efforts to improve technology access across the agricultural sector, Advanta launched the Hybridization in Sunflower Market project in Tanzania. Initiated in 2020, and scaled up in 2022, the project aims to improve the resilience, productivity and livelihoods of farmers who rely on sunflowers as their main oil seed crop. While certified open pollinated cultivars are grown by only a small percentage of farmers in the country, the majority still rely on farm-saved seeds due to a lack of understanding of high-yielding hybrids and an absence of fertilizers.

To address this issue and introduce farming communities to new Advanta’s new technologies, we provided 660 Village-based Agricultural Advisors (VBAs) in 23 districts with nearly 20,000 packets of hybrid sunflower seeds which produce higher yields and better prices on oil content. Advisors held regular field visits and educated farmers on utilising Advanta hybrid seed production technology through a series field days held in various regions. The training included information on topics such as agronomy, plant protection, and the cost-benefit analysis of cultivating and profiting from hybrid sunflowers. In line with our OpenAg purpose which places collaboration at the heart of progress, Advanta has worked alongside several NGOs including FIPS, Farm Africa, and CARE International, to set up additional demonstrations – reaching 19 districts with 980 VBAs. Additionally, Advanta has directly connected with 267 farmers' organizations, comprising a total of 13,064 farmers, to provide them with information on hybrid seed availability and purchase options.

The farmers who adopted the hybrids saw a significant increase in yield and profitability, with yields more than twice that of open pollinated varieties and a greater oil content. Many farmers reported an improvement in their social status and an ability to provide a better life for their children through better education. Advanta's efforts to promote the use of hybrid seeds, sell them at fair prices, and connect with farmers through B2B meetings has resulted in a significant increase in the number of local stockists who sell hybrid seeds, giving farmers more options for access to these seeds.

The acceptance of hybrid sunflower seeds in Tanzania has been a gradual process, but with the help of stakeholders like AMDT and seed companies, we expect that in the future, Tanzanian farmers will increasingly rely on hybrid seeds, increasing the amount of edible oil produced, reducing their dependence on foreign currency, and enhancing their productivity and profitability.

Today in Tanzania, Advanta’s hybrids represent more than 60 percent of the sunflower hybrid seeds market with over 100 MT hybrid seeds. The next year target is to reach more than 200 MT of hybrid seeds in Tanzania market.

Advanta plans to continue this program and to increase new technologies, such as high oleic and clear field hybrids, which can further to advance the sunflower market.

Timeline:May – December 2021

Goal:To develop water conservation awareness and promote water efficient crop sorghum

Opening up access to quality seeds for smallholder farmers to diversify crops and increase their productivity and income. We aim to provide access to quality seeds to 40 million smallholder farmers by 2025. We are also building their entrepreneurial capacity with seed production contracts. We are aiming to involve 65,000 smallholder farmers in our seed production by 2025.

Changing the face of agriculture with sunflower cultivation in Tanzania

As climate change affects agriculture in Africa, farmers are turning to drought-tolerant crops such as sunflower. These sunflower seeds are mainly used for the production of cooking oil and oil cake. Sunflower oil is the 4th most consumed cooking oil in African households.

Advanta Seeds, in partnership with Farm Africa, Bytrade Tanzania and Agriculture Market Development Trust (AMDT), developed a program to provide farmers with quality sunflower seeds OP and hybrids and agronomy training. The scheme impacted around 20,000 farmers in Tanzania and significantly improved the farmers' yield and productivity. Most of the farmers turned from OP to hybrids to assure crop performance.

Timeline : Implemented in 2018

Goal : Introducing new seed technologies in Tanzania, hybridization to enhance the local agriculture and farmers prosperity

Opening up access to quality seeds for smallholder farmers to diversify crops and increase their productivity and income. We aim to provide access to quality seeds to 40 million smallholder farmers by 2025. We are also building their entrepreneurial capacity with seed production contracts. We are aiming to involve 65,000 smallholder farmers in our seed production by 2025.

Securing farmers income with crop diversification in Thailand

Encouraging crop diversification, Advanta Seeds offered discounted corn varieties to farmers cooperatives across 40 provinces in Thailand. The discount aimed to encourage farmers to grow corn after the rice season and reduce their dependence on one crop. This initiative is coordinated with BAAC to provide credit for farmers, and Betagro, a corn processing company, to buy the crop. Advanta Seeds provides quality seeds and agronomy training and helps to monitor the growth of the crop. In 2020 more than 20,000 farmers were growing corn on 25,000 hectares as a part of the crop diversification program.

Timeline : Implemented in 2019, MOU with Betagro

Goal: Securing smallholder farmers income

Enabling women farmers with quality seeds, adjacent technologies, tailored programs and more, as in Southeast Asia and Africa, women participation in agriculture is about 80%. We aim to have 60% of our seed production contracts in Thailand granted to women farmers by 2025.

Advanta Indonesia shortlisted for the UN Women WEPs Awards.

We are immensely proud to have the genuine dedication and hard work of Advanta Indonesia getting recognition. We are one of the few finalists for the UN Women 2020 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards. Out of over 400 applications from 17 countries, Advanta Indonesia made it to the final by impressing the judges with a thoughtful program for empowering women farmers during the Covid pandemic crisis.

Advanta contacted women directly to invite them on a priority basis to Advanta's crop and technology demonstrations. At the events, Advanta provided designated health and safety checks and seating areas for women only. Additionally, all women received safety kits. As a result of this targeted marketing campaign, women's participation increased by 30%, followed by many seed inquiries and engagement through social media.

Timeline : Implemented in 2020

Goal : To increase women participation in crop demos and technology trainings to 75%

Enabling women farmers with quality seeds, adjacent technologies, tailored programs and more, as in Southeast Asia and Africa, women participation in agriculture is about 80%. We aim to have 60% of our seed production contracts in Thailand granted to women farmers by 2025.

Changing the lives of Tanzanian Women with sunflower cultivation

Advanta partnered with UN Women and Farm Africa to empower women with hybrid sunflower seeds. It is a joint program titled ‘Realizing Gender Equality through Empowering Women and Adolescent Girls’.

The objective is to empower economically and improve the social status of women and female youth farmers. Each female farmer received agronomy training and one kilogram of hybrid sunflower seeds. Over 300 farmers had participated. The farmers confirmed that it was the best crop performance they had ever experienced in sunflower cultivation, and that they were looking forward to planting the hybrids next year.

Timeline : 2020-2021

Goal : To empower women and adolescent girls in Tanzania by enhancing their economic and social status

Programs for youth that promote a healthy diet, such as school or community gardens. We support the training of next-generation farmers and developing agriculture professionals through collaboration with universities and formal agriculture education institutions.

Boosting nutrition in schools in Thailand

We engaged with the local government and community leaders to launch a nutrition program in Nong-Kae Sub-district, Thailand. The opening event was held at Wat Tan Sian School with vegetable planting demonstrations and sports activities for children. There were about 30 teachers and over 200 children participating. The project aimed to create awareness on nutrition and teach children how to grow their vegetables. We provided seeds for tomatoes, baby corn, okra and chilli seeds and agronomy support to harvest time. After the harvest, the vegetables were used for the children's meals and shared with the community.

Timeline : Initiated in 2020

Goal : To improve nutrition in schools, extend the reach of the program to more schools

Protecting agrobiodiversity with the development of a diversified portfolio of field and vegetable crops to promote food system resilience, sustainability and nutrition. We are forging partnerships to improve farmers’ access to the market as well as the development of the best genetics through collaboration. We contribute to the nutritional needs of a growing global population with biofortified crops and varieties of nourishing vegetables.

Breeding super-nutritious crops to help solve global hunger

We realize that biofortified crops are the best way to reduce malnutrition and improve the lives of millions of people. Biofortification increases the density of essential vitamins and minerals in a crop and can be achieved through specific agronomic practices or conventional plant breeding and modern biotechnology.

We partnered with HarvestPlus and CIMMYT to biofortify staple crops for smallholder farmers to improve nutrition intake and crop health.

We have a few programs for super-nutritious crops in Africa and Asia. Our orange maize enriched with vitamin A in Zambia is now introduced to South Africa, Tanzania, DR Congo and Angola. We are launching beans enriched with Iron and Zinc and rice fortified with Zinc. We are also in the process of testing nutritious Iron Pearl Millet in India.

Timeline : Initiated in 2019

Goal : To reduce malnutrition and enhance nutrition in global food supply

Protecting agrobiodiversity with the development of a diversified portfolio of field and vegetable crops to promote food system resilience, sustainability and nutrition. We are forging partnerships to improve farmers’ access to the market as well as the development of the best genetics through collaboration. We contribute to the nutritional needs of a growing global population with biofortified crops and varieties of nourishing vegetables.

Red okra, an innovative way to enhance nutrition

Advanta Seeds launched an innovative crop, red okra, with enhanced nutrition value in India. Kumkum, the red okra hybrid, has a higher value of essential nutrients than regular okra. The red okra colour (due to the pigment anthocyanin) makes it richer in Antioxidants, Calcium, Iron and Zinc. It has more mucilage what makes it more nutritious and enhances its health benefits.

Additionally, Advanta’s red okra seeds give a 25% higher return on investment to farmers compared to green okra. High yield and easy cultivation benefits farmers who have already started to grow red okra for higher profits.

Timeline : Launched in 2019

Goal : To reduce malnutrition and enhance nutrition in global food supply

Protecting agrobiodiversity with the development of a diversified portfolio of field and vegetable crops to promote food system resilience, sustainability and nutrition. We are forging partnerships to improve farmers’ access to the market as well as the development of the best genetics through collaboration. We contribute to the nutritional needs of a growing global population with biofortified crops and varieties of nourishing vegetables.

Enhancing livelihood of dairy farmers through highly nutritive forage crops

We, at Advanta, have developed innovative, highly nutritious forage crops for animal feed. Our forage hybrids increase milk productivity and enable higher fat and SNF content in milk, ensuring good nutrition.

The objective for Advanta is to address the challenges faced by smallholder farmers, including limited land resources, the need for nutrition and animals health, while promoting sustainable agriculture. The benefits of feeding animals with highly nutritious forages have been recognized throughout India and some African countries like Tanzania and Kenya.

We collaborate with many NGOs in these regions to increase access to quality forage seeds to smallholder farmers. Our efforts have been recognized by the UN SDGs Partnership Platform, which aims to drive the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Timeline : August 2018 - March 2025

Goal : Promoting sustainable farming practices and increasing profits of Indian farmers through nutritive forage crops

Protecting agrobiodiversity with the development of a diversified portfolio of field and vegetable crops to promote food system resilience, sustainability and nutrition. We are forging partnerships to improve farmers’ access to the market as well as the development of the best genetics through collaboration. We contribute to the nutritional needs of a growing global population with biofortified crops and varieties of nourishing vegetables.

Securing stable income for smallholder farmers in Tanzania

Cultivating high quality crops should be followed by a proper opportunities to sell them to achieve the goals of earning good profits. We provide farmers with such good opportunities along with providing them with high quality seeds. Smallholder farmers do not have the bargaining power to secure fair market prices and buyers for their crops. We actively look for partners in the food value chain to improve smallholders’ livelihood.

In Uganda, we partnered with Mukwano and in Tanzania with Pyxus International Oil Millers to provide regular and guaranteed income for smallholder farmers. Our sunflower seeds have the highest oleic content, which benefits farmers as well as the company. We provide seeds and training for farmers, and Mukwano Oil Millers contracts farmers and pay a good price for the grain. This partnership benefits about 20,000 smallholder farmers.

Timeline : Initiated in 2019

Goal : To create newer opportunities for small holder farmers and ensure steady earnings for each household.

Creating opportunities of employment on and off the field. Empowering hands and minds to push the boundaries to make agriculture sustainable and food security a reality today and for tomorrow.

Creating opportunities of employment on and off the field.

Empowering hands and minds to push the boundaries to make agriculture sustainable and food security a reality today and for tomorrow.

1200 employees representing 25 countries. 24 stations of seeds production & processing sites across 21 countries.

84 countries with commercial presence and employees in 25 countries.

44% of our workforce are customer facing to deliver quality seeds to farms in every environment ( South Asia).

28% of our workforce manages seed production and seed distribution worldwide (Africa and middle east).

19% of our workforce researches plant genetics to ensure we deliver breakthrough seed technology (Europe).