SUSTAINABILITY
What is SAI (Sustainable
Agriculture Initiative)?
Function: The only global food
Industry Initiative supporting
the development of sustainable
agriculture and sharing solutions
to create supply-chain security.
Founded: 2002.
Members: More than 60
companies worldwide.
Areas of operation: Beef, coffee,
fruit, dairy, arable vegetable
crops.
Achievements: Raised global
awareness of sustainable
agriculture through various
publications; drew up principles
adopted as best practice;
developed a self-assessment
sustainability tool.
A Partner for Growth
Similar momentum is building in local
sourcing, with HEINEKEN supporting
agricultural communities from France
to Haiti. But it is in Africa where the
company is perhaps having the greatest
impact, with initiatives in ten countries
involving more than 100,000 farmers'
families.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo,
HEINEKEN's Bralima brewery has made a
significant contribution to the rice sector
by boosting local demand. As a result,
farmers' incomes in parts of the country
have increased dramatically, up to 180%
in Bumba and 300% in Kinshasa. A
maize project in Rwanda and a sorghum
initiative in Sierra Leone are having
similar results.
In Ethiopia, meanwhile, the barley-
growing industry is being revitalised to
supply the country's three HEINEKEN
breweries. The newest of these will be
in Kilinto, on the outskirts of the capital
Edition 2 201A World of HEINEKEN 17
