Month: May 2023

The India edition of Lenovo’s global Work For Humankind initiative commemorates the International Year of Millets, aiming to improve the accessibility and productivity of millet farmers in Kanthalloor, KeralaKanthalloor, a pristine location, is home to 13 tribal wards that have traditionally farmed millet for generations.Using Lenovo technology, volunteers, local students, and influencers will collaborate to make a lasting positive impact in a currently underserved community whilst working remotely.

May 11, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Following the global success of Lenovo’s Work For Humankind initiative, Lenovo announces the launch of its India edition of Work For Humankind, which will use Lenovo’s smarter technology to revive millet cultivation in the scenic village of Kanthalloor, Kerala. In partnership with Dream India Network and local student volunteers, Lenovo employees will make a long-lasting positive impact on the millet farming community while working remotely from Kanthalloor.

Work For Humankind’s location, Kanthalloor, is a village surrounded by the Western Ghats mountains. It’s a location under constant cover of mist and evergreen forest, and a fertile agricultural paradise. Historically, over 18 varieties of millet were grown in this region, but today it has dwindled to just two types.1 The farmers of this village have given up on traditional millet cultivation due to factors such as climate change and a lack of formal market access.2 Only one tribal community, isolated deep within the protected forests, continues to grow millet for self-consumption. To revive millet farming practices in this secluded community, Lenovo’s smarter technology will play a pivotal role in improving accessibility, increasing awareness around the benefits of millet farming, and enhancing local farming knowledge and best practices. Market linkages are essential to transforming the millet food system into a profitable and sustainable model that supports rural livelihoods. Building digital inclusion for local farmers is the first step in this direction.

Lenovo employees, student volunteers, agriculture experts, and influencers with diverse skill sets will be chosen to participate in this initiative, supporting the local community in millet cultivation while continuing to work their regular day jobs remotely from Kanthalloor. The project will tap into Lenovo’s broad portfolio from devices such as ThinkPad, Yoga, motorola edge, and tablets to solutions and services like Lenovo’s CO2 Offset Service and cloud solutions. Lenovo is setting up the ‘Lenovo Digital Centre for Kanthalloor Millets’ at IHRD College Kanthalloor, the first centre of its kind for the millet farming community. The centre will be powered by Lenovo’s broad portfolio of cutting-edge devices, services, and solutions. The aim of the Digital Centre, is to become a hub that provides famers with access to critical information and best practices on millet farming, help Work For Humankind volunteers gather data and analyze the impact of implemented solutions, develops early adopters in millet production, and builds awareness for market linkages. Lenovo volunteers will be working to provide digital access to information on government programs and millet cultivation methods to key stakeholders within the local community. This intervention will work towards improving the technological access of the community at large, addressing the overarching challenge of the ‘digital divide’ in the region.

The United Nations declared 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’, and subsequently the national and global millet value chain has seen significant increases in productivity and momentum. However, several marginalized farmers who run smaller, independent operations in pockets across India have not been able to leverage the benefits. Reasons being: lack of awareness, lack of skill sets, limited market linkages, and inaccessibility to the latest agri-tech.3 These barriers have led to inefficient production and little to no profitability. To bridge this gap, Lenovo employees and student volunteers will collaborate with partners to run an in-depth analysis of the local millet food system and prototype a model to help farmers cultivate millet through sustainable farming practices. By the end of the initiative, the students at the IHRD College will be trained to continue this work and help ensure that insights from this work are correctly used, and that positive changes are long-lasting.

Lenovo’s global research on the link between technology and humanity recognizes that technology is instrumental in fulfilling modern employees’ desires to work remotely in a location that also offers them the opportunity to give back. The creation of the ‘Work-from-Anywhere’ model is essential as many Gen Z employees in the workforce believe philanthropy and making a positive impact within communities is important.4 In fact, Lenovo’s research highlighted that a third of respondents in India would use their spare time while “working from anywhere” to volunteer and give back to the local community. At Lenovo, this belief is captured in the Work For Humankind initiative, which combines the vision of delivering smarter technology for the millet farming community in Kerala, with the volunteer work of skilled employees, to address their most pressing needs.

Announcing the initiative launch, Shailendra Katyal, Managing Director, Lenovo India, said, “With India gearing up to become the global millet hub, Lenovo’s Work For Humankind initiative will help Kanthalloor’s farmers to make millet cultivation more profitable and sustainable. By bringing together the right expertise and Lenovo’s cutting-edge tech devices, solutions and services, we aim to mobilize the local community and make millet farming more commercially viable for them. At Lenovo, we are committed to leaving a lasting legacy with the community work we undertake and for the benefits to be felt long after the Work For Humankind initiative is complete. That’s why we are partnering with Dream India Network, Organic Kerala, and the Gram Panchayat in Kanthalloor to bring this vision to life. We are also thankful to the College of Applied Science, IHRD, Kanthalloor, and the Forest Department for their ongoing support of this initiative.”

Dr. Saju Parackal, Board Member, Dream India Network, commented, “We look forward to contributing our expertise in developing the infrastructure and agricultural training programs to benefit the farming community in Kanthalloor. Lenovo’s Work For Humankind India program seeks to engage farmers and the local youth, and build awareness of the benefits they can reap from millet cultivation. Access to information on farming best practices that are rooted in science is key to transforming the current food system into one that is commercially viable and desirable. Dream India Network will work closely with the student and Lenovo volunteers to capture learnings on-the-ground and report the progress of the interventions introduced.”

Kanth Mohandas, Kanthalloor Gram Panchayat President, expressed that, “Kanthalloor welcomes Lenovo’s partnership to create a one-year roadmap to boost local millet cultivation. Millet is part of Kanthalloor’s history, and we must revive our traditional farming practices with the help of modern interventions. Technology, accessibility, and market avenues are necessary to create a profitable model for millet farming. The Gram Panchayat will support awareness-building activities, and work with Lenovo volunteers to increase the production of millet and market linkages in Kanthalloor. We look forward to hosting various local millet-themed events and seeing our farming community thrive.”

Dr. S. Sindu, Principal of IHRD College Kanthalloor, said, “The IHRD College of Applied Science is partnering with Lenovo for its Work For Humankind campaign and will host the Kanthalloor Millet Tech Centre on our campus. Our students will be volunteering to monitor and develop opportunities for local millet farmers by manning the Tech Centre, powered by Lenovo technology. We are excited to play a key role in enabling digital inclusivity in the region and to build on shared synergies for millet cultivation in Kanthalloor.”

1 https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2022/feb/20/millet-reigns-supreme-in-idukki-tribal-settlement-2421589.html
2 Work for Humankind: Mobilizing the local community to revive millets in Kanthalloor by leveraging Lenovo’s technology ecosystem, Baseline Report, 2 March, 2023
3 Out of 227 households surveyed, all reported having no information about schemes for millet cultivation and other market avenues, except for their local markets. They also reported having no awareness and access to technological tools for millet production. Work for Humankind: Mobilizing the local community to revive millets in Kanthalloor by leveraging Lenovo’s technology ecosystem, Baseline Report, 2 March, 2023
4 Out of 15,000 respondents surveyed, 70% say they would have a highly favorable view of a tech company that could enable “Work from Anywhere” and help to identify ways to give back and make a positive impact in that location. Work for Humankind: Global Research Report

About Work for Humankind Initiative:
Work For Humankind is Lenovo’s global initiative to make a positive, and long-lasting difference in the world, while working from a remote place with Lenovo’s smarter technology. The India edition of the ‘Work For Humankind’ initiative will seek to leverage Lenovo’s tech ecosystem to enhance the efficiency and productivity of farmers in Kerala, allowing them to move from self-consumption to commercial production of millets. This initiative is a result of the global research study, spanning 8 countries, including India, and building on Lenovo’s journey towards understanding the powerful connection between technology and humanity.

About Lenovo:
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$70 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #171 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 82,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company by further expanding into key growth areas including server, storage, mobile, solutions and services. This transformation together with Lenovo’s world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and sustainable digital society for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

Water scarcity affects the livelihoods of small farmers around the world. IBM and Texas A&M AgriLife are collaborating through the IBM Sustainability Accelerator to deploy and scale Liquid Prep, a tech solution that provides “when to water” decision support to farmers, in arid regions of the United States.

May 11, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Ray announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $5.1 million to The Ray and partners Arcadis, InfraStrategies, and Beverly Scott Associates to support 15 communities as a Networked Communities capacity builder within the USDOT’s Thriving Communities Program. The 15 communities matched with The Ray are located near ports, airports, freight, and rail facilities. Community infrastructure needs and priorities will drive The Ray’s capacity building strategy and focus on mobility, access, housing, economic issues, workforce development, and environmental justice.

The Thriving Communities Program provides two years of no-cost, intensive technical assistance to under-resourced or disadvantaged communities to help identify, develop, and deliver transportation projects that can both strengthen and transform their community. The technical assistance and capacity building approach includes support for all stages of projects, from planning and permitting to procurement and contract administration, through construction, operation and maintenance.

“My father, Ray C. Anderson, helped to green the White House and chaired a sustainability committee under two Presidents,” said Harriet Langford, founder of The Ray. “Yet again, through The Ray’s partnership with Thriving Communities, his commitment to net-zero, his belief in technology for good, and his influence through proving – then scaling fast – will be shared across the country with communities that need it most today.”

About the Thriving Communities Program

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act provides historic, unprecedented federal investment in transportation and infrastructure. Before now, local communities have not been traditional partners to the federal government and have not had the opportunity to receive direct federal funding. The Thriving Communities Program recognizes that these communities are at a disadvantage when competing for federal funds. The Program is designed to bridge the resources gap by pairing these communities with organizations that offer a variety of capacity building services, intended to give communities the ability to compete for and leverage these funds to build and sustain their own infrastructure development.

“The approach of the Thriving Communities Program centers on equity, community leadership, and workforce development to build and embed long-lasting, community-driven infrastructure solutions,” said Laura Rogers, Deputy Director of The Ray.

The capacity builder team led by The Ray will work on the front lines with the 15 Networked Communities to ensure they are in a position to compete for and benefit from federal resources, creating transformational opportunities to plan and implement impactful infrastructure projects. The Ray’s proven record of success working with local, state, and regional government agencies, coupled with wide ranging relationships with industry through public-private-philanthropic partnerships (P4), will be leveraged to lead this capacity building approach. The capacity builder team is entirely woman-led and understands the importance of building wealth, empowering communities, and providing equitable access to support people and communities so they can thrive. The team will support these communities by providing:

Technology transferConnections to private sector technologists and expertsConnections to peer transportation agenciesAdvanced planning tools and softwareTechnical assistanceProcurement assistanceProject organization and facilitation Policy analysisPublic awareness and promotionFinancial evaluation, planning, & strategy

Networked Communities

Networked Communities are special places where families can grow, businesses can thrive, and underserved, overburdened, and disadvantaged communities can flourish if provided the opportunity. Many of the communities that were chosen for the Program had previously applied for federal funding but were unsuccessful due to a lack of necessary resources to be competitive. The communities also come into the Program with varying levels of needs that range from advancing stalled feasibility studies to securing funds for the implementation of policy and infrastructure improvements. The Networked Communities are from urban, suburban, and rural communities that are located near significant transportation facilities and include:

Montgomery, AlabamaWrangell, AlaskaSaint Paul, AlaskaDouglas, ArizonaSan Lois, ArizonaOsceola Port Authority, ArkansasDoraville, GeorgiaDetroit, MichiganChester Economic Development Authority, PennsylvaniaPottstown, PennsylvaniaCharleston Area Transportation Study, South CarolinaBrownsville, TexasKearns Metro Township, UtahNisqually Indian Tribe, WashingtonUpper Kanawha Valley Strategic Initiative Council, Washington

“The Ray, from its inception, has leveraged philanthropy through the P4 model – via technical assistance, powerful software and tools, and a stubborn commitment to project execution – to accelerate our mission to achieve net-zero transportation,” said Rogers. She continued, “The Thriving Communities Program is evocative of The Ray’s core model that we’ve fine-tuned over the last eight years, and now we have the privilege to work with USDOT in partnership through TCP to scale our impact even more broadly.”

Bringing Together Experienced Partners and Innovative Technologies

The Ray, Arcadis, InfraStrategies, and Beverly Scott and Associates are a team of world-class experts who are transforming transportation infrastructure by leading the way with some of the world’s boldest thinking, building projects that inspire confidence in new innovations, and showing that the technologies and path to achieve safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation already exist. Using their combined experience, the team will work with the USDOT to help plan, develop, and support the scaling of infrastructure improvement projects across the 15 communities selected as Networked Communities.

About The Ray

The Ray is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity and net-zero highway testbed, located on 18 miles of Interstate 85 between Lagrange, Georgia and the Georgia-Alabama state line. This stretch of interstate is named in memory of Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011), a Georgia native recognized as a leader in green business when he challenged his company, Interface, Inc., to pursue a zero environmental footprint. Our mission is to reimagine how we connect our communities, our lives and the world in a way that is safer, more responsive to the climate, more regenerative to the environment, and more capable of creating economic opportunity through innovative ideas and technologies that will transform transportation infrastructure. The Ray is paving the way for a zero carbon, zero waste, zero deaths highway system that will build a safer and more prosperous future for us all. Learn more at www.TheRay.org.

About Arcadis

Arcadis is a leading global Design & Consultancy organization for natural and built assets. Applying our deep market sector insights and collective design, consultancy, engineering, project and management services we work in partnership with our clients to deliver exceptional and sustainable outcomes throughout the lifecycle of their natural and built assets. We are 36,000 people, active in over 70 countries that generate €4.2 billion in gross revenues (based on 2021 full year pro forma figures). We support UN-Habitat with knowledge and expertise to improve the quality of life in rapidly growing cities around the world. Learn more at www.arcadis.com.

About InfraStrategies

InfraStrategies LLC is a US-based consultancy focused on developing, funding, financing, and managing infrastructure programs. The firm provides strategic advisory and program management services to public and governmental agencies and private sector infrastructure and technology developers globally. Learn more at www.infrastrategies.com.

About Beverly Scott and Associates

PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES MATTER: Transforming Lives and Communities Through Infrastructure Investment. Beverly Scott Associates, LLC is an infrastructure sector practice committed to advancing equity, inclusion, “shared prosperity” and, healthy and sustainable outcomes for historically underutilized groups and high-needs communities through smart reinvestment in American infrastructure. Learn more at https://www.beverlyscottassociates.com.

MEDIA CONTACT

Sarah Grizzle, Director of Communications, The Ray 310.699.2054 | sgrizzle@theray.org | @TheRayHighway