FMC Corporation invests in new program to support opportunities in agriculture for youth in Kenya

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Mar 14, 2023, 16:00 ET

Company partners with Generation Unlimited, world's first global public-private-youth partnership co-founded by UNICEF

PHILADELPHIA, March 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC), an agricultural sciences company, today announced a three-year, $1.5 million investment in support of Generation Unlimited's Engaging Kenyan Youth in Agriculture and Nutrition (EKYAN) program. The program will prepare youth for employment opportunities in agribusiness and improve the economic livelihoods of smallholder farmers across the country.

Generation Unlimited (GenU) is the world's first global public-private-youth partnership to meet the urgent need for expanded education, training and employment opportunities for youth. FMC will support a three-year pilot of GenU's EKYAN program, which aims to develop young people as agripreneurs, providing extension services to smallholder farmers in Kenya.

"We are keenly aware of the food crisis devastating countries throughout Africa and the globe. Investments in youth and agriculture are necessary to strengthen agri-food systems, increase global food security and bring long-term economic stability to the region," said Mark Douglas, FMC president and CEO. "FMC is proud to be the first major corporate partner to support GenU's EKYAN program. We're excited to contribute to their work to prepare young people for a future in agriculture and make a meaningful difference in the lives of Kenyan farmers, and ultimately, the health and wellbeing of people throughout Africa."

The pilot phase of the program will establish Centers of Excellence (CoEs) across multiple counties in Kenya. The CoEs will serve as community training hubs, preparing youth to provide extension services, including access to quality inputs, advanced technologies, and financing, to smallholder farmers in the region. In addition to training young agripreneurs, the CoEs will serve youth aged 10 to 24 annually through local schools and agricultural clubs supported by Kenyan Ministries of Agriculture, Education & Youth.

More than 40% of the total population and 70% of the rural population in Kenya depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). However, rising input prices, climate change and limited market access have left many smallholder farmers struggling to earn enough to feed their families. The EKYAN program will help boost local food production and farmers' incomes by increasing uptake of climate smart and data driven farming practices and technologies while creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for youth in agribusiness.

"This partnership will create a generation of young agripreneurs with the skills and real-world know how to boost yields, increase incomes and create jobs for the community," said Kevin Frey, Chief Executive Officer of Generation Unlimited. "With youth driving innovation within food systems, local economies will benefit from sustainable transformation in the agribusiness sector."

About FMC

FMC Corporation is a global agricultural sciences company dedicated to helping growers produce food, feed, fiber and fuel for an expanding world population while adapting to a changing environment. FMC's innovative crop protection solutions – including biologicals, crop nutrition, digital and precision agriculture – enable growers, crop advisers and turf and pest management professionals to address their toughest challenges economically while protecting the environment. With approximately 6,600 employees at more than 100 sites worldwide, FMC is committed to discovering new herbicide, insecticide and fungicide active ingredients, product formulations and pioneering technologies that are consistently better for the planet. Visit fmc.com to learn more and follow us on LinkedIn® and Twitter®.

Statement under the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current views and assumptions regarding future events, future business conditions and the outlook for the company based on currently available information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. These factors include, among other things, the risk factors and other cautionary statements included within FMC's 2022 Form 10-K filed with the SEC as well as other SEC filings and public communications. FMC cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary statement. FMC undertakes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they were made, except as otherwise required by law.

About Generation Unlimited

Launched by the UN Secretary-General at the 2018 UN General Assembly, and anchored in UNICEF, Generation Unlimited (GenU) is a global multi sector partnership to meet the urgent need for expanded education, training, and employment opportunities for young people, aged 10 to 24. A leading global Public-Private-Youth Partnership, GenU brings together global organizations and leaders including Heads of State, CEOs, Heads of UN agencies, and civil society champions with young people to co-create and deliver innovative solutions on a global scale.

SOURCE FMC Corporation