BASF is partner in the world’s first sustainable castor bean program "Pragati"

Castor beans play an important role in the chemical industry where castor oil and derivates are used as raw material in the production of, for example, plastics, coatings and paints, and pharmaceuticals. 80% of the world’s supply of castor seed is produced annually in India representing approximately 1.2 million tons. Here, castor bean farming provides a steady income for many smallholders and family farms.

Top 4 uses for castor oil

■ Polymers

■ Lubricants

■ Coatings

■ Pharmaceuticals

Partnering for a more sustainable castor bean farming standard

In May 2016, BASF; Arkema, a global leader in specialty chemicals and advanced materials; Jayant Agro-Organics Ltd., a pioneer in castor oil based chemicals in India, and the international civil society organization Solidaridad launched the project "Pragati" (Hindi for progress) to improve working conditions, create awareness for sustainable farming and increase yields due to more efficient farming practices. Further, the project has established the unified sustainability code SuCCESS (Sustainable Castor Caring for Environmental and Social Standards) that sets a standard for certified sustainable castor oil – the first code on the global market.

Project goal of enabling sustainable castor crop production by:

Using good agricultural practices to increase yield and farmer income
Efficiently using water resources and maintaining soil fertility
Driving adoption of good waste management practices
Enabling better health and safety practices and respecting human rights

Enabling farmers to enhance sustainability and productivity

By teaching agricultural and environmental practices, Project Pragati enables farmers to enhance their productivity and increase their yields. In addition, the project creates awareness to take responsibility towards health, environment, safety and societal issues. As of today, over 2,700 farmers have been formally awarded certificates for their achievements in improving the sustainability of their farming.

Key Outcomes

SuCCESS (Sustainable Castor Caring for Environmental & Social Standards) code established
More than 4,000 hectares of castor farming in accordance with the SuCCESS sustainable castor crop framework, representing associated production to date of more than 5,000 metric tons of certified sustainable castor seeds
2,700+ farmers certified
Yield improvement of more than 50 percent over the 2016 baseline has been achieved by the combined member farmers
Over 3,000 personal safety kits and crop protection product storage drums distributed to farmers
Water consumption lowered by approximately 25 percent in the demo plots where water utilization is monitored
Soil and water tests completed across 50+ villages

Lead farmers at the first certification ceremony.