View of Walmart’s newly remodeled Supercenter, in Teterboro, New Jersey on June 7, 2023. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Walmart Foundation said that, since 2018, through its market access programme it has invested over $39 million in India to reach 500 Farmer Producer Organizations/Farmer Producer Groups targeting 8,00,000 farmers, of which more than half are women.

NGOs like PRADAN, ACCESS, Mercy Corps and Srijan are working with the Walmart Foundation’s Market Access Program to provide on-ground impact.

The Foundation, through its Market Access Program, said it is supporting agrarian communities in nine states across India – Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, and Maharashtra.

In March 2023, to improve farmer livelihoods in India, the Foundation had announced a new five-year strategy to reach 1 million smallholder farmers by 2028, with at least 50% of them being women.

Julie Gehrki, Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Walmart Foundation in a statement said, “We are witnessing the emergence of women leaders within Farmer Producer Organisations breaking barriers, and spearheading change. With organisations like ACCESS, Mercy Corps, PRADAN and Srijan by our side, we are forging a path toward greater gender equality, economic empowerment, and sustainable rural development. Together, we are nurturing a brighter future for rural women farmers and their communities.”