Bayer is pleased to announce the delivery of high-quality vegetable and corn seed to communities in Africa and Ukraine as part of an ongoing global partnership with the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) to strengthen efforts to combat hunger, improve nutrition, and support vulnerable communities around the world. The collaboration supports Bayer’s Zero Hunger Pledge, signed in 2022, to help reduce global hunger and malnutrition in underserved communities, reinforcing the company’s global mission “Health for ,all Hunger for none.”
As a key pillar of its Zero Hunger commitment, Bayer will donate more than 225 metric tonnes of seed, valued at approximately €875,000 to nonprofit and humanitarian organizations in 2026, helping communities produce nutritious fruits, vegetables and grains and close critical nutrient gaps in vulnerable populations. For its part, IOM is coordinating the distribution of the seeds through local missions and NGOs, expanding access for communities facing food insecurity, malnutrition and climate impacts —particularly migrants, displaced families, and other at-risk populations.
Current donation initiatives are ongoing in Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya and Ukraine. In Nigeria and Zambia, Bayer’s onion, tomato and squash seed will support improved food security, dietary diversity, and climate-resilient agriculture for up to 1,000 internally displaced and/or at-risk families in each country. In Kenya, Bayer’s corn seed will help support both human and animal nutrition in Mandera County, an area where prolonged droughts have significantly impacted harvests and threatened food security. There, the seed donations will be coupled with agricultural training and infrastructure investments to improve community resilience and stability and help mitigate ongoing climate-driven impacts.
“Bayer’s commitment to providing migrants and displaced people with the resources they need to access safe, nutritious food will build resilience and improve health. IOM is grateful for Bayer’s support for vulnerable communities around the world,” said Amy Pope, Director General, International Organization for Migration.
The partnership with IOM also enables the continuation and expansion of Bayer’s humanitarian seed donations in other regions, including Ukraine. Since 2022, Bayer has donated nutritious vegetable seeds for distribution to households in Ukraine, working through the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities, a local NGO. This year, packages containing cabbage, onion, carrot, and corn seeds will be shared with more than 22,300 households. The packages will also contain informational pamphlets to support vital demining activities in agricultural communities. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Bayer has contributed seeds to nearly 200,000 households across the nation.
“Food security is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, and no single organization can solve it alone. This partnership with IOM demonstrates Bayer’s commitment to working collaboratively to ensure that vulnerable communities have access to the tools needed to grow nutritious food,” stated Matthias Berninger, Global Head of Public Affairs, Sustainability & Safety, Bayer.
“By combining IOM’s global humanitarian reach with Bayer’s expertise in vegetables and other crops, we are empowering communities to grow nutritious foods that support not only food security, but also nutrition security. High-quality vegetable seeds play a critical role in addressing nutrient gaps, building climate resilience, and improving livelihoods. We are proud to contribute to solutions that support long-term food system resilience, advance the UN SDGs, and move the world closer to Zero Hunger,” added Inci Dannenberg, President, Bayer Vegetable Seeds
