Bayer’s sustainable agriculture through local empowerment and innovationCase study 11 Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of healthcare and nutrition. Bayer and Silal, a leading agri-tech food company in United Arab Emirates (UAE), have established a strategic partnership to enhance sustainable agriculture in UAE, focusing on empowering local farmers and driving agricultural innovation adapted to the region’s unique climatic and environmental conditions. Business model innovations –Farmer empowerment through knowledge transfer: Through Bayer’s global capacity building programme (BayG.A.P .), a train-the- trainer model equips agricultural engineers and farm managers in UAE with skills in pest management, crop protection and efficient irrigation, enabling scalable knowledge transfer within Silal’s network. –Localized innovation for resilient agriculture: Bayer and Silal conduct targeted seed trials under both open-field conditions and low-tech and mid-tech net house and greenhouse conditions. These trials focus on identifying vegetable varieties optimized for local soil salinity, climate stress and water efficiency – ensuring that agricultural innovation is context-specific and aligned with national food security goals. Outcomes –Farmer capacity: More than 300 local growers trained through the programme. –Crop innovation: Over 40 vegetable seed varieties trialled across six categories of products, including tomatoes, cucumbers etc. Lessons learned –Partnership with local entities is essential to bridge knowledge gaps and ensure that innovation is effectively adapted to local conditions. –Trial findings offer insights for global regions facing climate challenges, especially rising wet-bulb temperatures.Source: Bayer interviews and materials review. From Scarcity to Solutions: Food-Water Innovation in Asia and the Middle East 30

From Scarcity to Solutions 2025