Bayer announced the supply of high-quality vegetable and corn seeds to communities in Africa and Ukraine, as part of an ongoing global partnership with the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), aimed at strengthening efforts to fight hunger, improve nutrition, and support vulnerable communities worldwide. The collaboration supports Bayer's "Zero Hunger Pledge," signed in 2022, to help reduce hunger and malnutrition globally and in disadvantaged communities, strengthening the company's global mission of "Health for All, Hunger for None."

As a key pillar of its "Zero Hunger" commitment, Bayer will donate over 225 tons of seeds, valued at approximately €875,000, to nonprofit and humanitarian organizations in 2026, helping communities produce nutritious fruits, vegetables, and grains and address critical nutritional gaps in vulnerable populations. For its part, IOM is coordinating seed distribution through local missions and NGOs, expanding access to communities facing food insecurity, malnutrition, and climate impacts, particularly migrants, displaced families, and other at-risk populations.

Donation initiatives are currently underway in Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ukraine. In Nigeria and Zambia, Bayer's onion, tomato, and pumpkin seeds will help improve 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 maize seeds will help support human and animal nutrition in Mandera County, an area where prolonged droughts have significantly impacted crop yields and threatened food security. There, seed donations will be combined with agricultural training and infrastructure investments to improve community resilience and stability and help mitigate ongoing climate impacts.

“Bayer’s commitment to providing migrants and displaced people with the resources they need to access safe and nutritious food will help strengthen their resilience and improve their health. IOM is grateful for Bayer’s support for vulnerable communities around the world,” said Amy Pope , Director General of the International Organization for Migration.

The partnership with IOM also allows Bayer to continue and expand its humanitarian seed donations in other regions, including Ukraine. Since 2022, Bayer has been donating nutritious vegetable seeds to Ukrainian families, collaborating with the Association of Ukrainian Communities, a local NGO. This year, packets containing cabbage, onion, carrot, and corn seeds will be distributed to over 22,300 families. The packets will also contain informational brochures to support vital demining activities in farming communities. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Bayer has contributed seeds to nearly 200,000 families across the country.

“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 together to ensure vulnerable communities have access to the tools they need to grow nutritious food,” said Matthias Berninger , Bayer’s Global Head of Public Affairs, Sustainability and Security.

“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 nutritional deficiencies, strengthening climate resilience, and improving livelihoods. We are proud to contribute to solutions that support the long-term resilience of the food system, advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and bring the world closer to Zero Hunger,” added Inci Dannenberg , President of Bayer Vegetable Seeds.