Bayer has launched what it calls a farmer-first digital platform that is intended to transform the way farms of all sizes can more easily make the transition to sustainable agricultural practices. The platform, called ForGround, offers growers tools, resources, discounts, as well as and the potential to earn revenue through the Bayer Carbon Program7 for the adoption of regenerative practices and to connect with businesses looking to advance their sustainability and carbon goals.
Through ForGround, Bayer will assist enrolled farmers to implement and manage practices that can help provide benefits to their land such as improved soil health, increased water availability, fewer inputs, increased weather resiliency, and less soil erosion, as well as the opportunity to generate incremental revenue by connecting them with programs like Bayer Carbon.
The available benefits at launch are:
- Best-in-class practice transition support with agronomic support, evidence-based field studies & trials, curated content & events, like-minded community and trusted network of leading experts,
- Connection to potential new revenue streams for adopting these new practices (i.e., Bayer Carbon Program),
- Reduced transition cost barriers, including incentives and rewards such as a free subscription to Climate FieldView Plus7 (Climate FieldView is Bayer’s industry-leading digital farming app, allowing even deeper understanding of farmers’ fields).
Based on the foundation of the existing Bayer Carbon Program, ForGround will expand and evolve to go beyond carbon offsets to explore other ways that farmers can make a positive impact in their operations, through the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices and technologies, and the potential to connect with companies to help them meet their sustainability goals from foot printing to value chain interventions all the way to carbon offsets.
ForGround participating companies can take advantage of a suite of digital applications powered by Climate FieldView to define and offer incentive programs that allow them to achieve their sustainability goals. “Our difference lies in understanding different needs, realities and adoption rates from farmers and different ways companies can create a positive impact to the environment,” said Leo Bastos, Head of Global
Commercial Ecosystems, Bayer CropScience.
The ForGround digital platform is now live and available for farmers and companies in the United States and will be globally expanded in the near future.
