Coca-Cola India's 'Unnati' Project Benefits Over 3.5 Lakh Farmers

Coca-Cola India has stated that Project Unnati has been successfully implemented for ten years as part of its efforts to create an Atmanirbhar Bharat. The endeavour is a component of Coca-Fruit Cola's Circular Economy effort, which is a cornerstone of the company's Sustainable Agriculture ESG goals.

Project Unnati intends to help the Indian agri-ecosystem by increasing farming productivity, bolstering forward connections, and increasing the nation's capacity for food processing. Over 350,000 lakh fruit farmers in 12 Indian states have benefited from Project Unnati's empowerment and facilitation efforts over the past ten years.

The programme, which is concentrated on five fruit varieties—mango, apple, orange, grapes, litchi, and sugarcane—aims to advance the horticulture supply chain and increase agriculture production across the nation.

The use of Ultra high-density fruit plantation technology has increased fruit yield by 5X through the adoption of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) through Unnati projects in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.

Additionally, Coca-"Meetha Cola's Sona Unnati" programme aims to improve the lives of small-scale sugarcane farmers and promote climate-resilient sugarcane farming by addressing the issues they confront. By using high-yielding planting materials and Good Agriculture Practices (GAPS), such as ultra-high-density plantation (UHDP), which includes drip irrigation, on-site training, and farm supplement support, the initiatives also make it easier for farmers to access supporting infrastructure.

Fruit farming becomes even more profitable thanks to these modern technologies' significant increases in quality, production, and profitability per unit of land.

Through "Project Unnati Mango" in Andhra Pradesh, Coca-Cola India initiated the Fruit Circular Economy in India in 2011. Following Unnati Orange in Maharashtra in 2018, Unnati Apple in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir, and finally Litchi and grapes over the course of a decade, were the next phases of the program's expansion. The idea has received widespread support from Indian state governments.

In India, Project Unnati aims to spur economic development and open up new doors for farmers and regional vendors. Additionally, it has a favorable effect on sustainability priority areas like water stewardship, community well-being, and women's empowerment.

The Project aims to replace imports with domestic production of important horticultural commodities and anticipates the possibility of farmers returning to their home towns to start businesses in agriculture.