Bayer Crop Science (BSC), a company of German multinational pharmaceutical firm Bayer AG, will give incentives to farmers who will adopt "climate-smart" practices in order to reinforce its commitment to nature-friendly and sustainable food systems amid COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, BSC recently launched the Bayer Carbon Initiative, which intends to help farmers generate revenue for adopting specific climate-smart practices.
One practice is the use of no-till farming, which has been proven to reduce use and cost for fuel, labor, and equipment. It also improves soil structure, combats erosion as more surface soil is retained, and minimizes soil compaction.
The initiative was derived from the successful “carbon credit” model of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Liam Condon, President of the Crop Science division of Bayer, said during the company’s Future of Farming Dialogue virtual event series that there's a need to intensify the focus on agricultural innovation and help make agriculture part of the solution to climate change, while continuing to ensure food security for all.
“The agricultural industry is no stranger to adversity—from flooding to drought to pest infestations—and COVID-19 is yet another stark reminder of the need to create a more sustainable and resilient food system to ensure food security,” said Condon.
“Innovation is key to not only solving the pandemic but also the present and future challenges facing farmers,” he added.
At present, Bayer is paving the way towards a carbon-zero future for agriculture through innovative, science-based and collaborative pilot programs like this.
In the Philippines, the multinational company already started the “Better Life Farming” initiative for remote agricultural areas where both farming and technical expertise are highly underdeveloped.
The intention of this program is to introduce farming know-how, inputs, and market access for smallholder rice farmers to improve their yields and income.
One such project is their concept store in Alicia, Bohol where rice farmers are guided on the right crop management technologies and are now able to use the recommended inputs for their farm production.