What is Olam Agri’s vision for its role in the future of global food systems, particularly regarding affordability, accessibility, and sustainability?

As a leading agribusiness with a vast global sourcing network across essential foods and agricultural products, along with strong processing capabilities and a significant presence in rapidly expanding emerging markets, we can source vital staple crops like rice and wheat from areas where they are plentiful and distribute them to regions with high demand, processing them as needed to support the food security objectives of numerous markets.

This ability enables us to ensure food and agricultural products are accessible to various countries and their citizens while keeping prices manageable, even during trade disruptions that often require us to adjust our sourcing strategies to align with demand. Furthermore, we work closely with multiple nations to identify opportunities for domestic crop production, strengthening their agricultural goals and food needs, particularly in Africa, where we have established our leadership in the food and agriculture sector over the past 34 years.

Our primary motivation is our mission to transform food and agriculture for a safer and more sustainable future. Our success is intrinsically tied to the welfare of farmers, and we actively support them, particularly smallholder farmers who face heightened vulnerabilities, ensuring that they operate viable and productive businesses while adopting or exploring climate-smart agricultural techniques and promoting soil health through regenerative practices. This way, we can develop sustainable agricultural supply chains capable of guaranteeing adequate food production for future generations.

In light of agriculture’s vulnerability to climate change, how is Olam Agri aiding farmers in balancing productivity with environmental sustainability?

We engage directly with hundreds of thousands of farmers, witnessing the severe impacts of climate change and erratic weather patterns on agriculture and livelihoods. The year 2023 set records for the frequency and severity of heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and floods, and the circumstances are likely to escalate. Typically, smallholder farmers in the Global South endure the most significant consequences, facing limited access to resources and assistance in transitioning to more sustainable farming techniques.

Our three main goals when collaborating with farmers directly and through our partners are to enhance their livelihoods by increasing productivity, yields, and profits; to adopt farming practices that aid climate mitigation and adaptation; and to implement regenerative agricultural practices that enhance soil health.

In our rice supply chain across significant exporting countries such as India, Thailand, Vietnam, and Nigeria, we are working with over 50,000 smallholder farmers to teach effective farming methods, including alternative wetting and drying, which helps reduce water usage, lower fertilizer application, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. These initiatives not only enhance their resilience to climate change but also improve soil health and profitability.

Additionally, we support farmers in accessing high-yield, climate-resilient seed varieties while also encouraging crop diversification. Such efforts enable farmers to increase their household incomes and bolster resilience against climate change impacts.

For example, in Nigeria, we recently introduced a heat-tolerant, early-maturing durum wheat variety suitable for cultivation during the dry harmattan season. This innovation allows wheat millers and pasta manufacturers to shift from imported wheat to locally sourced products as part of our Seeds for the Future initiative.

Olam Agri champions regenerative agriculture and biodiversity. Can you provide examples of specific initiatives that demonstrate this commitment?

We believe regenerative agriculture and biodiversity are fundamental to building sustainable and resilient food systems. This approach improves soil health through practices like cover cropping, crop rotation, no-tillage, reduced chemical use, optimized fertilizer application, and holistic grazing. These strategies not only bolster soil fertility and enhance water retention but also promote biodiversity, sequester carbon, and contribute to more resilient agricultural systems.

Through implementing regenerative agriculture at the landscape level, farmers and stakeholders can collaborate with local communities to restore natural habitats and manage water resources sustainably. This holistic approach leads to positive impacts on farm outcomes and the surrounding ecosystem, ensuring a sustainable and productive agricultural future.

In 2024, we launched the largest certified regenerative agriculture program globally within the cotton supply chain to meet the increasing demand for traceable and sustainably produced cotton. This initiative involves cotton grown in the United States and Côte d’Ivoire, with plans for expansion into Australia and Brazil. By utilizing practices such as rainwater harvesting, minimal soil disturbance, organic manure application, and agroforestry, Olam Agri is helping cotton farmers enhance their resilience to climate change.

In the Asia-Pacific region, since 2016, Olam Agri has partnered with public and private sectors to extend the reach and effectiveness of its regenerative agriculture initiatives. These efforts manifest through various sustainable rice programs implemented in India, Thailand, and Vietnam, the three leading rice-exporting nations accounting for nearly 70% of global rice production. Olam Agri collaborates closely with governments, donors, civil society, clients, and key players in the rice industry to advance these programs, reflecting our strong commitment to embedding regenerative agriculture and biodiversity conservation into our operational framework, benefitting both the environment and the communities we serve.

How does technology influence Olam Agri’s medium-term growth and sustainability strategies? Are there particular innovations that you find exciting?

Technology plays a crucial role in shaping Olam Agri’s strategy for medium-term growth and sustainability. Our commitment to leveraging advanced technologies is central to our approach for improving operational efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and fostering sustainable growth.

A key area where technology profoundly affects our operations is in our Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems. By adopting advanced digital tools and platforms, we can collect, analyze, and report data with greater accuracy and transparency. This capability not only helps us track our progress toward sustainability targets but also ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and enhances stakeholder trust.

We are particularly excited about several innovations that are set to transform our operations:

Digital Footprint Calculator: This tool, integrated into our AtSource sustainability management system, allows us to measure the carbon footprint throughout our supply chains with high accuracy. It provides detailed insights into emissions at every stage, from farm to final product, aiding in the identification and execution of effective carbon reduction strategies.

Terrascope: Our enterprise-grade, end-to-end decarbonization platform enables companies in the food, beverage, and agriculture sectors to formulate credible pathways towards net-zero emissions. By combining proprietary data assets and AI models with extensive knowledge from the sector and sustainability, Terrascope guides enterprises on the most impactful emission-reduction initiatives they can pursue.

Zero North Platform: In our freight division, we have invested in the Zero North platform to optimize operational efficiency and cut emissions. This integrated application aids in better route planning, vessel performance monitoring, and bunker optimization, contributing to significant reductions in emissions.

Satellite Monitoring and Remote Sensing: We utilize satellite technology to monitor land use changes, deforestation, and crop health in real time. This approach helps ensure compliance with sustainability standards while enhancing our efforts to protect natural ecosystems and biodiversity.