ADM Cares supports smallholders to increase sustainable production of Mango in India

ADM is increasingly sourcing sustainably certified fruity raw materials from around the globe. With rising consumer demand for more sustainably sourced food and beverage ingredients, ADM's global direct procurement is pushing forward efforts to help transition from conventional farming to more sustainable solutions. The efforts are part of a commitment by the Sustainable Juice Platform (SJP) from the European Juice Industry Association, of which ADM is a member, to source 100% sustainable fruit volumes in the fruit juice industry by 2030.

As part of those efforts, ADM has rolled out a program to encourage sustainable mango tree cultivation, resulting in steady mango growth due to the financial benefits for smallholders.

The efforts were organized by non-profit organization Manavlok, which earlier worked with ADM on a non-GMO soy product in India, and Foods & Inns, one of India's largest food processors and supplier. The educational program was launched in 2022 with 15 female and 110 male farmers, covering 375 hectares of mango farmland. The efforts adapted sustainable agricultural practices, producing an increased yield of 2.75 MT/ha (+5% in the first year, expected +10% next year).

Foods & Inns is building a bottom-up farm approach through which ADM encourages higher farm yields. By training farms in best agricultural practices, it is leading to high farm realization and profits. Farmers were provided training on sustainable  practices like pruning techniques, effective use of fruit fly traps, use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods, fruit bagging techniques, cross pollination and inflorescence, inter cropping, canopy management, fertilizer and manure application for nutrient management, vermi-composting, ultra-high density plantations, and fruit harvesting techniques.