Farmers take center stage in UPL’s climate campaign

UPL has unveiled #AFarmerCan – The hero you don’t know you need, a global campaign celebrating farmers as key agents of climate resilience. The initiative precedes the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), taking place from 10 to 21 November 2025 in Belém, Brazil. The campaign urges policymakers and consumers to recognise the essential role farmers play in addressing the climate crisis.

With operations in more than 140 countries, UPL works with both smallholder and large-scale farmers to promote sustainable agricultural practices that support food security and climate action. Drawing from this experience, UPL has gathered 20 stories from farmers worldwide that illustrate agriculture’s role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving water, restoring soil health, protecting biodiversity and enhancing energy security — the five pillars guiding UPL’s engagement at COP30.

Campaign calls for policy action to support farmers

At the core of #AFarmerCan is a clear message: policy must stand with farmers. The campaign urges governments to recognise their contributions to sustainability and resilience, while encouraging consumers to value their innovation and perseverance.

As part of its advocacy, UPL has proposed a four-pillar incentive framework to strengthen farmer resilience:

Pay: Reward the adoption of climate-smart farming practices.

Protect: Provide subsidies and insurance to mitigate risks.

Procure: Improve access to public markets for certified sustainable produce.

Promote: Expand digital tools, soil health data and farmer training.

Farmers at the heart of climate resilience

Jai Shroff, Chairman and Group CEO, UPL: "With #AFarmerCan, we are amplifying a simple but urgent message: the future of climate resilience begins in the fields. Farmers are already leading the way – innovating, adapting, and regenerating. Yet their contributions remain under-recognized in global climate discourse. This campaign is our call to policymakers, institutions, and consumers to stand with farmers, empower them, and make them central to climate action."

Global rollout combines outdoor and digital activation

The campaign is being activated globally through a 360-degree media strategy spanning Brazil and key international markets. In Belém, UPL’s presence includes airport signage, over 1,000 branded taxis and 200 buses featuring QR codes that link to farmers’ personal stories. A complementary digital rollout combines social media engagement, online films portraying farmers as climate heroes, and eco-friendly merchandise such as T-shirts, tote bags and reusable water bottles.

UPL showcases sustainable innovation at COP30

At COP30, UPL will be present in the Blue Zone — the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s official area for negotiations and national pavilions — where it will serve carbon-smart coffee from Brazil’s Mió brand. The initiative offers delegates a hands-on experience of climate-smart agriculture, demonstrating how farming practices can capture more carbon dioxide than they emit. UPL has also secured rights to use COP30’s official branding as part of its sponsorship.

The company will host discussions at its Agrosphere within the AgriZone, organised by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). Expert panels and debates will focus on the five pillars guiding UPL’s COP30 engagement. UPL will also participate in the Planeta Campo Forum and present a case study on low methane rice cultivation from India.

Farmers recognised as heroes of a sustainable future

Through #AFarmerCan, UPL aims to build a global movement that celebrates farmers as climate heroes and custodians of a healthier planet. The initiative underscores UPL’s ongoing commitment to advancing sustainable agriculture and reinforcing farmers’ role at the centre of global climate solutions.

www.upl-ltd.com

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