Company: Bayer CropScience Ltd
Income 2005-2006 =  Rs  760 Cr (rounded off)
Net profit after tax (05-06) = Rs 260 Cr (rounded off)
Karmayog CSR Rating:2/5

CSR activities:

Child labour  - Bayer is intensifying its efforts against child labor in the Indian cotton seed industry. As part of a wide-reaching campaign due to start this summer in the new hybrid cotton seed season, a program has been developed with the Naandi Foundation to make it possible for more children in the state of Andhra Pradesh to attend school. A Memorandum of Understanding has just been signed. The renowned Naandi Foundation has a great deal of experience in promoting quality elementary education in schools and cooperates closely with the Government and the Ministry of Education.

Central feature of the campaign is the concentration of the activities of Proagro Seed Co. Pvt. Ltd., the Indian cotton seed company of Bayer CropScience, on a few villages in Andhra Pradesh. It is planned to provide various kinds of support to encourage the farmers not to employ children. Although Proagro's contracts with the farmers already rule out the use of child labor in cotton seed production, the problem remains widespread throughout India. As part of the program Naandi will set up centers in the villages where children without any previous school education can be prepared for normal schooling.

"Bayer has already been committed for several years in the struggle against child labor in India," said Stephan Gerlich, Senior Bayer Representative for India, about the agreement with Naandi. "Our objective with the 'Revitalizing Education' program is to continue our successful achievements to date and make a further decisive contribution towards improving the situation."

As part of its campaign, Proagro is planning to pay the farmers a bonus on the procurement price if they discontinue the use of child labor. The company is also negotiating with banks in order to arrange small credits at low interest rates. This will help to reduce the debt burden of the farmers. It is also planned to improve the infrastructure in the various villages, for example by building or repairing storage areas for harvested crops or improving the water supply. Proagro will also intensify its cooperation with another renowned child rights organization in India, the MV Foundation.
For many years Bayer has been pursuing a clear policy against child labor in all its forms. Its subsidiary Proagro Seed has been committed for years to the abolition of child labor in cotton fields - child labor is expressly prohibited in its contracts with the seed-producing farmers. Proagro has also assumed the presidency of a committee set up within the Indian seed producers' association for the furtherance of such activities. All these measures have helped to achieve a noticeable reduction in the total number of children employed in cotton farming. 
 

Disaster - earthquake relief -As an initial effort to help alleviate the suffering of those affected in the October earthquake to hit India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, Bayer CropScience and Bayer Group in India dispatched relief aid including blankets, milk powder, medication, water sterilization tablets and kitchen utensils.

The consignment of relief aid left from Jammu, India, in 2 trucks on October 16, 2005. It has been sent directly to the Indian Red Cross Society in Srinagar. The Indian Red Cross is actively involved in providing help and relief to the victims of this earthquake

India: Vegetable farmer stewardship club in Bangalore-As part of the Bayer CropScience commitment to encouraging good stewardship principles, the company team in Bangalore "adopted" a village in 2004 where a variety of vegetables are grown. The initiative's goals is to create awareness on stewardship and to encourage safe and targeted use of crop protection products among vegetable growers, within an Integrated Crop Management approach. The team offers presentations and field demonstrations on: safe use practices, including the correct use of personal safety equipment, pre-harvest intervals and waiting periods for product application as well as insecticide resistance management approaches. The extent of understanding and compliance with these stewardship principles are assessed through regular visits to monitor implementation and to improve future training activities. All these activities are in line with Bayer CropScience's efforts to promote sustainable agricultural production practices.

To know more on CSR of this company :
· www.bayercropscience.com/bayer/cropscience/cscms.nsf/id/OurActivities- Bayer Activities across the world
· www.bayercropscience.com/bayer/cropscience/cscms.nsf/id/India- Bayer /www.bayergroupindia.com/naandi.htm activities in india

Amount spent on CSR : No information regarding the amount spent on CSR was available on the homepage .

Contact details Bayer CropScience Ltd
Bayer House Central Avenue
Hiranandani Gardens Powai
Mumbai
Maharashtra
400076
Tel : 91-22-25711234
Fax : 91-22-25700147
Email: SustAg@bayercropscience.com
Web address : www.bayercropscience.com