How Corteva helps women drive a sustainable future for all

There is a growing global momentum to recognise women’s contributions to agriculture through initiatives like the Year of International Women Farmers. How does Corteva view the importance of such recognition? Also, how would the company consider supporting or championing this cause?

Women are crucial to transforming agriculture and ensuring food security in India. They are behind 80 per cent of food production in the developing world. They engage in nearly all stages of crop production, livestock care and post-harvest activities. This makes them critical to sustaining and enhancing agricultural productivity. Despite their contributions, they still lack access to land, credit and equipment customised to their specific needs – which limits their productivity and earnings and growth of the agriculture sector as well. As the global conversation around food systems evolves, it’s encouraging to see initiatives like International Women Farmers Year shine a light on their impact. At Corteva, we believe that recognition is only the starting point. True impact comes from sustained action and enabling those who are at the forefront of agriculture. The focus should be on long-term efforts to remove structural barriers, empower women with the right skills and technology, provide access to markets and credits, and enable them to drive farming decisions. As when women in agriculture rise, they uplift entire communities, strengthen food systems, and drive a more sustainable future for all.

Corteva has committed to empowering 2 million women across India’s agricultural value chain by 2030. What inspired this vision, and how do you see it transforming India’s agricultural landscape in the coming years?

The potential of India’s agricultural sector is deeply tied to the potential of women who lead it. The FAO estimates that, if women had equal access to productive resources, they could boost farm yields by 20-30 per cent, potentially increasing total agricultural output by 2.5-4 per cent, significantly strengthening India’s food systems and rural economies. Corteva’s ‘Two million women in Agriculture by 2030’ initiative’s approach is rooted in this understanding. By engaging women across the entire agri-value chain – whether as farmers, entrepreneurs, scientists, or students – we aim to foster a more sustainable and resilient ecosystem. From supporting women-led FPOs and introducing climate-smart practices, to mentoring the next generation of female STEM leaders, our programmes are designed to enable long-term impact. This commitment is inspired by the transformational role they can play when given the right tools, access to training, credit, markets, and decision-making power. Women are increasingly becoming change agents in the agriculture sector, who drive sustainability, adopt innovative practices, and strengthen rural economies from the ground up. By investing in them, this initiative aims to create a more resilient and food-secure agricultural ecosystem across India.

From your experience, what are the biggest challenges women face in agriculture, and how is Corteva’s initiative addressing these to unlock meaningful opportunities?

Women in agriculture face a layered set of challenges that limit both their potential and productivity. The most pressing is the lack of land ownership, which restricts their access to formal credit, government schemes and decision-making power on the farm. In addition, access to finance remains a critical gap. With limited collateral, most women are locked out of formal lending systems and micro-finance networks. Though 72 per cent of rural women are engaged in agriculture, only 15 per cent have access to institutional credit – this becomes a barrier to investing in quality seeds, fertilisers and modern equipment (NABARD, 2023). Also, many lack exposure to training and technology, which inhibits the adoption of efficient, high-yield and climate-smart practices, which affects productivity and efficiency in their work. At Corteva, we’re addressing this through a multi-layered approach. We are strengthening women-led Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), enabling them to access markets, financing and leadership opportunities. Our programmes deliver climate-resilient training, digital tools, and financial literacy and are tailored to local needs and realities. We also work with NGOs and local organisations to ensure grassroots support and scale. It is enabling women to thrive as decision-makers, innovators, and leaders in agriculture.

With increasing awareness around sustainability and food security, how is Corteva integrating climate-smart practices into this campaign – and what impact do you expect it to have on women farmers and rural communities?

As weather patterns grow more unpredictable and natural resources more strained, building resilience at the farm level is essential. Women play a key role in adopting practices like intercropping, carbon sequestration, Direct Seeded Rice method, efficient water use and improved seed selection that can make agriculture more sustainable. We are enabling this by providing access to right skills, resources, offering field-level training on climate-resilient techniques, and strengthening women-led FPOs that serve as platforms for scaling these solutions. These efforts are amplified through women’s informal networks and community-led learning hubs, where knowledge spreads organically and impact multiplies.

Take the story of Saroj Devi, a millet farmer from Bharatpur, who adopted drought and pest-resilient hybrid millet after attending an FPO-led training. After realising the benefits like improved yield and reduced input costs, despite changing weather patterns, she became a vocal advocate of climate-smart farming among her peers, encouraging more women to make the switch. Her story reflects the larger impact where climate-smart practices, when combined with local leadership and the right support systems, are not just improving yields but transforming rural communities and reshaping agriculture. Partnerships are essential to scale and sustain impact. 

Will you share more about the collaborations Corteva has built – or plans to build – with NGOs, government bodies or grassroots organisations?

To address the issues of a wide ecosystem of stakeholders, it is imperative that shared vision and goals are implemented via collective action. Working alongside the right partners helps deepen local impact, build trust and scale efforts more effectively. At the grassroots level, we are partnering with FPOs to connect directly with women farmers, deliver training, and provide access to inputs, technology, financial services, market access and more. These FPOs act as vital community anchors, enabling knowledge-sharing and stronger collective participation with a shared purpose of enabling rural communities, farmer livelihoods and agriculture. Beyond FPOs, Corteva collaborates with a wide network of NGOs, women’s groups, community leaders, and government departments. Organisations like Sattva, OneStage, and Buddy4Study bring in different expertise from building women-led cooperatives and self-help groups to facilitating market linkages, financial access, and even supporting girls in pursuing agri-related higher education. We also work closely with local authorities to align with regional development goals and public programs. These partnerships allow us to amplify our reach, improve delivery on the ground, and nurture a sense of local ownership. By sharing stories of success and resilience from women in the field, Corteva is rallying a broader ecosystem to support this journey, one that aims to make India’s agricultural landscape more productive, resilient, and farmer-driven.

What does success look like by 2030, and how will Corteva track the initiative’s progress and ensure it drives lasting, measurable change, both in terms of gender equity and food system resilience?

The goal is not about just reaching two million women, but to create an ecosystem where women farmers have the resources, knowledge, and influence to shape the future of agriculture. We will see real progress when rural economies are thriving, food systems are more resilient, and agriculture is more adaptive to climate and market disruptions. That future becomes possible as more women step into leadership roles at various levels across the agriculture value chain – equipped with the skills, resources, and opportunities to drive climate-smart farming, build stronger farming systems and shape the future of agriculture. We have a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure that we are on track. This includes annual progress reports, detailing milestones and learnings; independent impact studies to assess outcomes across regions; and direct feedback from participants through surveys and focus groups.