Empowering
African farmers
Start measuring the sustainability performance
of our most important malt suppliers
We developed a measurement model in 2009 and will
implement it during the first quarter of 2010 with a pilot
involving two malt suppliers and two apple suppliers.
Share the learnings of the Skylark project across
other markets via a technical handbook on sustainable
arable farming
The Technical Handbook was developed and was published
early 2010.
Extend GMO audits to local suppliers of maize
and rice and focus monitoring activities on weak spots
with Group suppliers
We increased the number of supply audits from 58 to 61,
including checks on Genetically Modified Organism (GMO),
especially in markets where we use maize for brewing.
As our normal supply chain audits supply us with sufficient
guarantees in compliance with our policy relating to GMO,
we deem it unnecessary to conduct specific audits solely
aimed at detecting the possible presence of GMO material.
Include apple farming in the scope of our sustainable
farming programme
We have integrated apple farming in the scope of our
sustainable farming programme. We have included the
orcharding of apples in our MASSA tool and will continue
to do so as we roll out our future activities.
r
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Sc~"' vWS
Paul Kemp
Area Supply Chain Manager
In several African countries, Heineken is empowering significant
numbers of the local communities by helping farmers grow crops
- often in arid, desert land. These crops are then purchased
by Heineken's local Operating Companies to be used in their
brewing plants. "We facilitate farming operations in different
ways, depending on the local situation," says Paul Kemp, Area
Supply Chain Manager, Africa and Middle East. "This involves
offering advice via our agronomist and upfront payments so
farmers can purchase the inputs needed for their crops.
On the banks of the Nile in Egypt, Heineken's local company
Al Ahram Beverages (ABC) helps farmers grow barley for its
maltery. ABC also oversees farming projects in the Southern
Desert and the Sinai. In total, ABC facilitates the production of
30,000 tons of barley which equals 25,000 tons of malt.
Since the mid-1980s, Heineken's subsidiary, Nigerian Breweries
(NBL) has been sourcing locally-produced sorghum and maize
in Nigeria and has invested in the development of commercially
viable sorghum varieties. Today, NBL has 5,000 farmers growing
sorghum and malt for its plants.
Heineken is also facilitating agriculture through its local
companies in other parts of Africa: assisting rice farmers in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, developing the production of
sorghum in Burundi, encouraging farmers' involvement in maize
farming in Rwanda and supporting small sorghum projects in
Sierra Leone and Ghana.
In 2009, Heineken finalised the construction of its new brewery
in South Africa and is currently looking at ways to support
agriculture in the country.
"A conglomerate of local distributors want to build a maltery to
supply us and others, and they will need barley for this," explains
Paul. "We're helping them to work with local farmers to develop
good varieties of barley and to present a strong business case.
It's another example of how Heineken works with local
communities to help the farming industry, which in turn helps
our business."
In total, Heineken now works with tens of thousands of farmers
across Africa.
Heineken N.V. - Sustainability Report 2009 25
