Poverty remains one of the toughest global challenges, particularly for smallholder farms situated in rural areas. These farms usually face a myriad of obstacles surrounding resources, finance and a growing, pressing issue — climate change. Understanding the volume of the issue, Kellogg’s, a massive cereal and granola company, has become a pillar of support to empower smallholder farms as a route for poverty reduction. Through strategic collaborations, Kellogg’s helps smallholder farms by fostering sustainable agriculture to promote long-term economic growth.

KELLOGG’S ORIGINS™ Pledge

Fundamentally, Kellogg’s helps smallholder farms by building partnerships to support their climatic, social and economic resiliency. Its goal by 2030 is to reach 1 million farmers, including smallholders and women. As of 2020, Kellogg’s had reached 440,000 farmers around the world. Kellogg’s has constructed more than 40 ORIGINS™ projects globally. For example, Kellogg’s is helping smallholder farms in Ecuador with projects in Cocoa Training and Development. This project’s aim is to diversify the crops grown with the supplier, Olam, and to educate more than 3,000 farmers about pesticides. This would enable diverse crop growth and new income streams for farmers whose initiatives align with the specific contexts and aspirations of the communities they serve. 

Building Farmer Resilience to Climate Change

The company also promotes the use of sustainable farming techniques, such as crop rotation and water conservation, to improve soil health and mitigate environmental impacts. By pushing farmers to adapt to climate change, Kellogg’s is aiding poverty reduction. In 2022, Kellogg’s helped smallholder farms through their partnership with Enveritas, a nonprofit that verifies supply chains for multinational food companies, focusing on hard-to-reach smallholder supply chains in cocoa and coffee. Enveritas addressed that approximately 40% of Kellogg’s Cocoa source originates from Cote d’Ivoire, which gives insight into procedure footprints and the ability to address salient issues such as deforestation and potential interventions to aid smallholders from the climate crisis. 

Continuing into 2023, Enveritas supports Kellogg’s in creating a work plan to further its responsible sourcing goals. 

Fair Trade

Kellogg’s is helping smallholder farmers additionally through its use of Fair Trade ethical operations. Within farming communities, Kellogg’s helps smallholder farms by ensuring that farmers receive fair compensation for their produce, leading to increased income and improved livelihoods. This empowerment enables farmers to invest in better agricultural practices, education and health, contributing to long-term poverty reduction and sustainable development.

Curbing Hunger

As well as aiding the farmers with training and fair pay, Kellogg’s also partners with food banks, these drives limit hunger to reduce the effects of poverty in South Africa. For instance, in South Africa, the Kellogg’s® Better Days project feeds people in desperate need. Among South African children, 11% (approximately 2.1 million) lived in households that reported experiencing hunger, while 30% of children in households without hunger were categorized as living below the poverty line. Kellogg’s partnership with the Kolisi Foundation means that they are able to provide 4,000 meals in the Eastern Cape. 

Kellogg’s steadfast commitment through its work in sustainable sourcing, partnerships with local organizations, climate resilience initiatives and fair trade practices prove that Kellogg’s has made significant strides in the fight against poverty. Its strong consideration of its farmers suggests that there is hope for reducing poverty for farmers globally.

– April Plenderleith
Photo: Flickr