SONGYUAN, CHINA — Cargill and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) have launched the Holistic Agriculture Risk Management Project to help to reduce and alleviate the risks that Chinese corn farmers face and help them achieve food security.

Cargill has contributed $1 million to the three-year pilot initiative that will be based in the Songyuan, Jilin province of China.

“WFP is grateful for the generous support from Cargill,” said Sixi Qu, China representative for the WFP. “We have a shared vision to promote sustainable food system by helping reduce risk and vulnerability to shocks and achieving sustainable food security. Assisting corn farmers with risk management skills and sustainable practice is an important aspect of our partnership. This contribution enables us to increase farmers’ productivity and income and make the food system more resilient through working together with both the government and private sectors.”

The goal is to help corn farmers in the region to implement the application of innovative financial risk transfer approach of “insurance + futures” and promote sustainable corn growing practices.

The project also will provide training opportunities for local corn farmers every year on agriculture risk management to improve farmers’ livelihood and promote holistic agricultural risk management in corn industry.

“As the company celebrates the 50th anniversary of its operations in China this year, the project marks a major milestone in Cargill’s journey to continuously contribute to farmer prosperity, rural revitalization and sustainable agriculture in the country,” said Jerry Liu, president of Cargill China. “WFP and Cargill have partnered globally to improve farmer’s livelihood, and I am thrilled that we are extending that partnership in China. I am sure this intervention will bring considerable value to the farmers and the corn industry in Songyuan and northeastern China.”