Diageo to train Punjab and Haryana farmers on regenerative agriculture

New Delhi: Leading alcohol beverage maker Diageo India on Monday announced the launch of a regenerative agriculture programme in Punjab and Haryana for rice and wheat farmers in partnership with the Nature Conservancy India.

The programme will equip over 5,000 small-holder farmers with the best regenerative agricultural practices. It will provide training and organise workshops on direct seeding, crop residue management, efficient irrigation, improved soil health and agroforestry, said a statement.

As part of its long-term commitment, the company will further scale up this initiative in the coming years, it added.

Regenerative agriculture works in harmony with the natural environment by using a rehabilitative approach to food and farming systems.

The regenerative agriculture initiative will help improve soil health and its carbon sequestration potential, enhance biodiversity and water quality, reduce the use of synthetic fertilizer, support small-holder farmers including women and improve their livelihoods.

Diageo India MD & CEO Hina Nagarajan said: "The programme will enable farmers to learn and adopt practices with proven benefits to the environment while increasing their farm profitability. We are committed to scaling this programme further in our pursuit to create a more sustainable future."

TNC India Managing Director Annapurna Vancheswaran said: "Our science-based approach and partnership with Diageo will equip small-holder farmers with regenerative agriculture practices, that will improve soil health, biodiversity, and water quality. We look forward to scaling up this programme and creating a world where nature and people thrive."