Corporate Social Responsibility
At Boustead Agriculture, we understand that our activities will have an impact on the communities and the environments in which we operate.
Values and Mission
At Boustead, our values are part of our corporate identity. The entire management is therefore signatory to our Corporate Values.
Our values are widely based on the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Companies, the principles of the UN Global Compact as well as several other internationally recognised conventions.
Corporate Social Responsibility
We are committed to acting in a manner that is socially responsible and that reflects sound environmental management practices.
For further reference, please view our social and environmental guidelines.
In 2000, the UN, the World Bank, the OECD, and several Non-Governmental Organisations set eight Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to combat extreme poverty.
Boustead Agriculture believes in the importance of these goals and we have set ourselves the objective to support the success of the MDGs wherever an opportunity presents itself.
In this context, we have set our main focus in 2012 on the following four MDGs:
- MDG 1: Reduce Poverty
- MDG 2: Universal Education
- MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS
- MDG 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability
MDG 1.
Reduce Poverty
Eighty percent of the population throughout Africa live below the poverty line; have no access to safe drinking water, medical services, communications, and food shortages. Droughts and floods are frequent throughout Africa and the frequency and intensity are growing every decade.
All the land which Boustead has secured for their environmental offsets has been leased or adopted from local communities and a percentage of all turnovers from this land are reinvested back into the communities.
MDG 2.
Universal
Education
In most rural communities, child care and education are under serious threat. Many unfortunate children face a bleak future because their parents or guardians lack the means to fund their education. Education infrastructure in most of the rural communities is also in a deplorable state, among a host of other challenges
By applying this concept, we aspire in the long term to employ workers who have been educated in Boustead Agriculture Ltd supported institutions from early childhood on.
6.
Combatting HIV
and AIDS
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Zimbabwe poses an overwhelming threat to the development of the country. HIV prevalence among adults (15-49) has reached nearly 15 per cent, while the rate of HIV testing is very low. The majority of HIV positive people are not aware of their status.
In correspondence with the recognised local Zimbabwean NGOs, which specialise in the implementation of HIV prevention and wellness programmes, Boustead Agriculture started the integration of a corporate program combatting HIV/AIDS at the workplace. Depending on our capacities, we will extend these programs into the community surrounding our projects.
MDG 7.
Environmental
Sustainability
At Boustead Agriculture, we are aware of the fact that a sustainable future is also reliant on the conservation of a healthy environment.
- Water - We understand that long term sustainment of water resources is crucial to life. It is therefore important to us to plan the use of water wisely and to know of our activities' impacts on the ground water level.
- Reforestation - Everybody is aware of the need to protect Africa’s rainforests and that these rainforests are an important carbon sink and are vital in preventing or reversing climate change.