PureCircle has partnered with the Agricultural Ministry of Paraguay to provide smallholder farms in that country the opportunity to improve their standard of living by growing and harvesting stevia.
The plan, called “1,000 Families," starts with a government grant for 1,000 family farms to build a small stevia nursery. PureCircle will provide cuttings to stock each nursery with an anticipated end yield of 60,000 to 65,000 seedlings per farm. The company will also supply ongoing agronomic and technical support to farmers.
In addition, as long as the farmers propagate PureCircle’s proprietary stevia plants, the company guarantees purchase of the entire harvested crop. The company hopes to see the nurseries increase cultivation in order to generate up to 500 new hectares of stevia by July 2014.
“Stevia is native to Paraguay, so the growing conditions are ideal," said Ajay Chandran, director, corporate sustainability, PureCircle. “In our experience working closely with family farms on four continents, we’ve seen how stevia can provide a steady income for smallholder farms that benefit individual families and their community at large. We are excited to expand our presence in Paraguay and the potential for economic development through sustainable agricultural practices."
PureCircle has a substantial presence and experience working in Paraguay and today supports more than 1,300 farmers across Paraguay with more than 500 hectares already under cultivation. The company developed new agricultural polices earlier this year to guide relationships with stevia farmers and ensure sustainable practices, to roll out by 2015. The policies are designed to reduce PureCircle's environmental footprint, source responsibly and deliver transparency and accountability.
