拜耳、国际金融公司（IFC，世界银行集团成员）、耐特菲姆和瑞士再保险企业解决方案发起了全球联盟 Better Life Farming，旨在为发展中国家的小农提供全面和创新的解决方案，使他们将农场发展成为可持续发展的企业。
该联盟将与多个合作伙伴一起提供综合方法，涵盖播种、精准灌溉、作物保护、金融和保险——所有这些都是为耕种面积不足两公顷土地的人们的特定当地和文化需求量身定制的。全球约有 4.5 亿小农易受多重挑战的影响——缺乏资金、不利的气候影响、水资源短缺、病虫害和作物病害、农村移民、商品价格波动和监管障碍——他们只实现了潜在生产力的一小部分。通过将全球专业知识与当地见解和合作伙伴联系起来，并提供先进的农艺解决方案，该联盟旨在帮助农民通过农业实现他们的潜力，不仅是为了生存，而且是作为一家专注于可持续发展的企业而蓬勃发展。
“We need a global step-change in innovation, collaboration and creativity to help farmers across the world grow more healthy, safe and affordable food in a more sustainable way,” Liam Condon, President of Bayer’s Crop Science division, said today at the formal launch in Washington. “Better Life Farming is a great example of how a collective effort and commitment to innovation, sustainability and social responsibility can contribute to a better life, not only for smallholder farmers and their families, but also for their local communities.”
Better Life Farming 的初始试点已经帮助了一些农民，例如来自肯尼亚的小农 Ruth Kajuju。 Kajuju 说，现在通过加强耕作和作物保护措施，她能够负担孩子的学费，并希望在未来几年种植更多的作物。
“由于这项举措，我认为自己在未来三年内会取得重大进展，”Kajuju 设想道。 “我正在发展自己和我的土地。现在我在两英亩土地上耕种，但我可以预见我将有能力在五英亩或更多英亩土地上成功耕种。而且我会提高我的社会地位，更好地照顾我的家人。”
IFC 中东和非洲副总裁塞尔吉奥·皮门塔 (Sérgio Pimenta) 解释说：“IFC 正在采用一种生态系统方法来支持价值链各个方面的小农户。这意味着通过可持续、互惠互利并由有利的商业环境加强的关系，将投入供应商、金融家和承购商聚集在一起，进行商业技能和农艺实践培训。”
“Through the Better Life Farming initiative, we can protect even more smallholder farmers from existential threats like droughts, hail, floods and adverse weather. By offering financial compensation for crop shortfalls and income losses, crop insurance can help farmers to rebound quickly after a natural disaster – and continue growing their farming businesses and providing for their families” adds Agostino Galvagni, Chief Executive Officer for Swiss Re Corporate Solutions.
Rain Maidan, Chief Executive Officer of Netafim said: “This alliance aims to offer solutions to our most urgent global challenges, such as the growing demand for food and scarcity of water. By using precision irrigation, and other advanced farming practices the alliance brings, smallholder farmers can significantly increase their yields, reduce their vulnerability to weather changes and ensure economic growth.”
该联盟旨在帮助确保为不断增长的世界人口提供更安全、更有营养和负担得起的食物，推进联合国“消除饥饿、实现粮食安全和改善营养以及促进可持续农业”的可持续发展目标。有效利用可用资源，如水、肥料和能源，将使种植者能够生产更多优质作物，产生更高收入，并使农业对子孙后代具有吸引力，从而使农村社区能够繁荣发展。
资料来源：拜耳