How Unilever is building business resilience by supporting smallholder farmers

Smallholder farmers are estimated to produce up to a third of the world’s food and crop production.^[a] This includes some of Unilever’s most important raw materials, from palm oil in Indonesia to tea in India and cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire.

Yet despite their vital role within our supply chain, many smallholders face systemic barriers that limit their livelihoods, including challenges in accessing finance, agricultural training and new markets.

That’s why we’re supporting smallholders globally across 13 crops in seven countries through regenerative agriculture and livelihood programmes that improve their economic opportunities and strengthen the resilience of their farms.

Our goal is to help 250,000 farmers in our supply chain access livelihood programmes by 2026. This not only supports farming communities but also helps secure a stable and sustainable supply of key ingredients for our business.

Collaboration is key to Unilever supporting smallholders

The local partners we work with are critical to the success of our smallholder programmes. They bring hands-on experience in crop management and training, along with expertise in community development, youth engagement and gender equality, helping us embed these principles across our livelihood programmes.

Working together, we’re developing tailored initiatives that meet smallholder needs – from access to credit and certification schemes to training programmes that support income diversification. Below are some examples of how Unilever is making a difference for the smallholders producing our crops.

Supporting certification for tea farmers in India

Through the Trustea certification programme, we’re helping small tea growers who supply crops for local Indian brands, to meet sustainability standards and improve their yields. The farmers are trained in cultivating climate-resilient tea and gain access to Trustea’s digital tools that promote good agricultural practices. Certification opens new markets, offering opportunities to increase income and long-term stability.

Projected impact: The project started in 2013, and we aim to certify between 7,000 and 10,000 farmers each year.

Improving the incomes of coconut sugar farmers in Indonesia

In West Java and Lampung, we’re helping smallholder farmers build more resilient farming businesses through sustainable coconut sugar production.

We have introduced new high-yield dwarf coconut varieties that make it faster, safer and more efficient to collect the sap for coconut sugar. We’re also funding practical on-the-ground learning sessions at field schools, where farming families learn about sugar processing, pest and disease management, and water and soil conservation. In addition, we support farmers to diversify their income streams and access new markets, helping improve profitability.

Projected impact: We expect to reach more than 10,000 smallholder coconut sugar farmers by 2030.

Increasing climate-resilient coffee farming in India

Our local coffee brands in India get most of their beans from farmers in Karnataka and Kerala. And we’re working with them to future-proof their farms by increasing their climate resilience. Through our programme, smallholders learn regenerative agriculture practices including natural fertiliser use, water conservation and intercropping with spices and fruits. These methods have the potential to restore soil health, reduce emissions and improve crop yields, while lowering production costs. We’re also strengthening farmers’ direct connections to buyers, securing better prices and more stable incomes.

The programme further tackles social barriers by training women as field facilitators who work directly with smallholder farmers. They offer hands-on crop management training and engage local communities with our livelihood programmes. This supports women in taking leadership roles in farming and decision-making.

Projected impact: We will be supporting around 50,000 coffee farmers by the end of the programme in 2027.

Driving shared growth by investing in smallholders

Our partnerships are essential for achieving lasting impact in smallholder communities. By working with organisations that bring deep local expertise, we are designing programmes that are responsive to local needs and contexts. These partners also help us to extend impact beyond agriculture, supporting broader social and environmental progress.

One example is our long-standing Vanilla for Change initiative in Madagascar. In partnership with Symrise, Save the Children and local Malagasy organisations, we’re not only supporting core efforts to diversify farmer incomes and provide better market access, but also empowering communities through access to education and healthcare.

Unilever’s work with smallholder farmers is cultivating more than crops. It’s also strengthening livelihoods, safeguarding vital resources and future-proofing our global supply chain. By working collaboratively, we’re able to amplify the reach and impact of our programmes, delivering value for both our business and farming communities.