Crop Science

The Farmer Voice

Elevating the Diverse Voices of Global Agriculture

The community, nation, world needs farmers to survive. That’s the bottom line. Their work and the harvests they produce are foundational to the global economy. Without farmers, there would be no food. So as society, shouldn’t we be listening to what they have to say?

At Bayer, we believe that’s central to our purpose. When we take time to listen and understand the diverse range of farmer needs and perspectives, we can harness our resources to best effect and deliver innovation to meet those needs.

So every day, we set out to listen and learn from farmers around the globe.

What farmers have to say

Initiated in 2023, the Farmer Voice survey captures the thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of more than 2000 farmers across 8 countries and 6 continents. What we’re hearing from those farmers is always informative, sometimes surprising and oftentimes truly inspiring.

Key Takeaways from The Farmer Voice

This year, the Farmer Voice asked farmers to share their thoughts on a range of topics, including their top business challenges and opportunities, innovation and digital technologies, regenerative agriculture and their outlook on farming as both a contributor to society and a career.

Here's what we learned

A Closer Look At Farmers Around the Globe

North America

United States

Compared to their global counterparts, US farmers are more tech-savvy and driven by productivity and yields.

• 60% see price/income volatility as a top challenge
• 91% use digital technology, compared to 65% globally
• 46% rank yield & productivity as a key goal of regen ag

Latin America

Brazil

Brazilian farmers are optimistic about farming and are adopting regenerative practices at a higher rate.

• 91% are open to using new tech to adapt to climate change vs 75% globally
• They’re using an average of 9.8 regen practices, compared to the 6.6 global average
• 89% would encourage future generations to pursue farming as a career

Europe

Germany

German farmers are at the forefront of regen ag and technology adoption.

• 86% use digital tools on their farms, and on average, 8.7 regenerative practices are employed
• 76% say political and regulatory decisions are top challenges
• 54% think political and regulatory changes would be beneficial

Eastern Europe

Ukraine

Ukrainian farmers persist in the face of unique challenges.

• Weather, price/income volatility and input costs are the top short-term challenges, but 29% rank market access in the top three – more than any other country
• 96% use digital tools – the highest proportion globally – and are more likely to embrace new technology to adapt to climate change
• An average of 6.1 regenerative practices are being used today

Africa

Kenya

Kenyan farmers view farming as good business, but further investment is needed.

• Kenyan farmers are the most positive, with 94% encouraging future generations to consider farming
• 42% use some kind of digital tools today, and 42% plan to in the future
• 48% see seed costs as a top challenge, and access to better seeds, crop protection technology and finance are the factors that would be most beneficial

Asia

India

Indian farmers are positive and eager to embrace technology.

• 75% would encourage farming as a career
• While only 8% use digital tools today, 85% plan to use them in the future
• Regenerative ag is less likely to be adopted, and fewer practices are used on average – 4.3 practices versus the global average of 6.6

Chinese farmer in field

Asia

China

Chinese farmers see major challenges and are less positive than others.

• 49% currently use some form of digital technology, while 23% do not, and don’t plan to
• 66% are using crop rotation, and roughly half are using biofertilizers or other methods to maintain soil health
• 58% would discourage future generations from pursuing a career in farming

Oceania

Australia

Digital tech and regenerative ag adoption are high with Australian farmers.

• 90% are using digital tools to improve operations and reduce costs
• 85% rotate crops and 84% say they’re using no-till or reduced tillage to be more regenerative
• Australian farmers see the current policy and regulatory environment as the top challenge facing their farms

Climate concerns prevalent among smallholder farmers

In parallel with the global Farmer Voice research, a separate survey was fielded with 1,450 smallholder farmers in India and Indonesia, providing a valuable glimpse into the hearts and minds of this unique segment of farmers who are so critical to securing the world's food supply.

The data reveal that farmers in both countries are grappling with increasing input costs, while also facing the growing challenges posed by climate change. A significant majority of smallholders surveyed feel the impact of climate change already - over 80% cite effects on their operations today.

These challenges are balanced by awareness and adoption of some regenerative farming practices and willingness to use digital tools.

Global Farmer Voices: A Podcast Mini-Series in Partnership with the Global Farmer Network

Bayer has partnered with the Global Farmer Network to sponsor a six-episode mini-series of the Global Farmer Voices podcast exploring themes, insights, and results from the 2024 Farmer Voice survey. Watch the episodes below, or listen to them via your podcast player of choice.

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