At BAT, we have a long and proud history of working with farmers around the world and having advanced agricultural practices & knowledge of skill-training.
Utilizing this knowledge, we have started implementing a host of activities as a part of our social responsibility to improve the social condition, the economic pulse and the standard of living of our farming communities.
BATB, as a responsible company, started popularizing the IFMC project of DAE and took the opportunity to uplift farmers livelihood in fulfilling the global sustainability agenda. Sustainability and financial viability of our valued business partners are crucial for the sustainability of tobacco cultivation. The team took this opportunity and started to provide trainings to Company Managers & Field Technicians on this subject. These trained managers and Field Technicians then organized localized training sessions for the farmers and women living in the farm. As a result of this initiative, a lot of BATB’s registered farmers have started to incorporate multiple components of the IFMC concept into their lifestyle
A breakthrough initiative to uplift farm income in 2019 was the utilisation of a curing barn for mushroom cultivation. After using the curing barns for 1-2 months during tobacco season the barns are mostly kept idle for the rest of the months of a year. With this initiative farmers can increase their barn utilisation to 75%, while generating additional income.
One of the major initiatives we have undertaken is to popularize short duration crops like paddy, vegetables, tobacco etc. to farmers through benefits demonstration. Through this initiative, BAT Bangladesh plays a significant role in the socio-economic development of the country, while also contributing towards zero hunger.
Taking sustainability to a new height, BAT Bangladesh initiated the first of its kind project called ‘Shikor’, a farmers’ community club and training facility aimed to improve the livelihood of the farming community. ‘Shikor’ aims to improve the livelihood of the farm community by providing them with skill development training that enhances farm productivity and household income, while creating a community voice.