Corteva’s #2MillionWomen Initiative Marks Two Years of Empowering Women in Indian Agriculture

Two years since its launch in September 2024, agricultural leader Corteva Agriscience has celebrated the second anniversary of its flagship #2MillionWomen initiative. Designed to empower two million women across India’s agricultural value chain by 2030, the initiative has already reached over 795,000 individuals across 22 states, including more than 637,000 women. The program has successfully nurtured nearly 49,000 women leaders and community champions, trained over 90,000 farmers, strengthened 154,000 livelihoods, and facilitated the adoption of advanced agricultural practices across 171,000 hectares of farmland.

Transforming Livelihoods: The Umaria FPO Success Story
A key success story of the initiative comes from the Umaria district in Madhya Pradesh, where women previously gathered Mahua flowers for minor income or local liquor production. By organizing into a women-led Farmer Producer Organization (FPO)—the Bandhavgarh Krishi Vanopaj Producer Company and shifting to processing flowers into premium, nutrient-rich TRIBO Mahua Laddoos, the women transitioned from forest gatherers into thriving entrepreneurs. Poonam Tiwari from the FPO highlighted that Corteva’s support enabled women to participate in decision-making, access wider markets, and build enterprise confidence.

Industry Leadership and Vision for Inclusive Agriculture:
Commenting on the two-year milestone, Subroto Geed, President (APAC) at Corteva Agriscience, emphasized: “Women have long been the backbone of Indian agriculture, and through the #2MillionWomen initiative, we have worked to ensure their contributions are recognized and supported… Their success is strengthening livelihoods, supporting families, and transforming communities.”

Supporting this vision, Pravesh Sharma (former MD, SFAC) and Sridhar Easwaran (Co-Founder, Samunnati Financial Intermediation) noted that collaborative, sustained interventions like #2MillionWomen provide critical access to knowledge, financial channels, and leadership skills, ensuring long-term resilience and inclusion across rural India.