Symrise wins AB InBev Eclipse Bold Steps Ecosystem Award: Empowering India’s Mint Farmers for a Resilient Tomorrow

- Improves smallholder mint farming with comprehensive platform approach
-  Improves yields, and boosts farmers’ incomes and living standards
-  Reinforces Symrise’s leadership in sustainable sourcing and climate action

Symrise and its partners got honored with the 2024 Ecosystem Award at the AB InBev Eclipse Bold Steps Awards. It recognizes how the company empowers smallholder mint farmers in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh with the collaborative platform Bridging the Gap (BTG). Sustainable farming practices, advanced processing technologies, and socioeconomic development initiatives aim at positively impacting climate, nature, society, and livelihoods. This underscores the commitment of Symrise to securing a sustainable future for farmers and consumers around the globe.

Addressing Challenges in Mint Farming

The award honors the commitment of Symrise in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh. 66% of the population relies on agriculture here. And up to one million smallholders account for 75% of India’s total mint production. Symrise supports farmers in mastering their multifaceted challenges. This includes sustainable water management, access to modern processing technologies, and bridging generation gaps. Succession planning and passing traditional farming knowledge can help address labor shortages, especially among women and young adults.

“This Ecosystem Award underscores our commitment to building strong, future-proof supply chains,” Bernhard Kott, Chief Sustainability Officer at Symrise. “Our customers can count on reliable, ethically sourced mint, and consumers benefit from products made with ingredients grown under environmentally and socially responsible conditions.”

Transformative measures and results achieved

Symrise has started its engagement in 2017 already, aiming to enhance crop quality, productivity, and farmer incomes. Building on its positive outcomes, Symrise and partners expanded their efforts in 2020 with the comprehensive Bridging the Gap (BTG) platform, designed to amplify benefits by sharing best practices, scaling climate-smart farming, and strengthening farmer organizations. BTG aims to secure a profitable and sustainable future for rural communities.

Over 27,000 smallholder farmers have enrolled in training and received support for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in this first project. As a result, mint yields increased by 32% versus control groups along with 20% lower production costs. The program also includes climate-smart measures that saved up to now 2.5 tons of CO2 and achieved a 26% reduction in water consumption. Ongoing support comes from 430 self-help groups to promote women’s economic empowerment and five Farmer Producer Companies. In view of this success, Symrise has made plans for another initiative and to reach 10,000 farmers with it having started in 2024, employing a “whole farm” approach that boosts on-farm productivity and off-farm financial resilience.

Securing a sustainable supply chain

When farmers adopt modern techniques, they can increase yields, reduce costs, and mitigate the environmental impacts of agriculture. This, in turn, ensures a reliable supply of premium-quality, responsibly sourced mint, offering a competitive edge for Symrise’s customers and greater transparency for consumers.

“With Bridging the Gap, we are tackling the toughest challenges in mint farming—from erratic climate patterns to inter-generational knowledge loss,” said Marie Le Henaff, TN&H Sustainability Director. “Our corporate commitment to drive sustainable development in our strategic supply chains has grown in India into a powerful platform that enhances farmer livelihoods, protects natural resources, and secures a stable, high-quality supply of mint.”

Looking Ahead

Symrise and its partners will continue implementing BTG’s approach, aiming to bolster economic, social, and environmental resilience in Uttar Pradesh and beyond. By fostering deeper collaboration with local communities, refining sustainable practices, and embracing digital innovations, the initiative ensures that both present and future generations can benefit from profitable and responsible mint farming.

For Symrise’s customers and end consumers, BTG’s success provides assurance of supply chain integrity, enhanced product quality, and positive social impact. Through this platform-driven approach, Symrise underscores its role as an industry leader, setting new benchmarks for collaborative, sustainable sourcing practices that protect livelihoods, ecosystems, and the broader market’s long-term needs.