Cargill Implements One-on-One Coaching for Farmers
Cargill has shifted from group training to personalized coaching to enhance farmer productivity and farm professionalism, starting in Ivory Coast.
Agribusiness giant Cargill is implementing a new approach to farmer support, moving from traditional group training to personalized, on-farm coaching. This initiative aims to professionalize farming operations and boost productivity for the farmers from whom Cargill sources its products.
The program, piloted in Ivory Coast in 2016, involves creating bespoke farm development plans for individual farmers. Each farmer receives ongoing guidance and monitoring to help them maximize profitability and diversify income streams through improved yields per hectare.
Cargill has trained approximately 1,250 farmers to act as coaches, with each coach supporting around 60 farmers annually. This method has already benefited 62,000 farmers in Ivory Coast, reporting an average yield increase of 49% in the first year for those who adopted the recommended practices from their 2016 development plans.
The coaching model is now being expanded to Cameroon and is scheduled for launch in Ghana by the end of 2017. Cargill anticipates reaching an additional 87,000 farmers with this coaching program in the 2017/18 season.