Sustainability Achievements

KEY SUSTAINABILITY SUCCESSES WITHIN THE GROUP

The following are the key sustainability successes of 2022 within the Group’s businesses:

  • FSSC 22000 Food Safety Management Certification – National Foods:

    National Foods joined the Group’s businesses certified for FSSC 22000 certification, which emphasised the Group’s commitment to providing consumers with quality product from factories that meet global safety, hygiene and quality requirements. National Foods applied for this certification specifically for its baby food range and was accredited the certification in June 2022.

  • The Coca Cola Company Supplier Guiding Principles technical assessment – Natpak:

    In 2021 Natpak was successfully audited by The Coca Cola Company for compliance with its Coca Cola Supplier Guiding Principles and passed the technical assessment for conditional supplier status. Throughout 2022 Natpak was continuously audited with a review for unconditional supplier status due in August 2022.

  • Water Recycling Project – Irvine’s:

    Irvine’s has embarked on a water recycling project to mitigate against drought and to reduce the amount of water used during its operations. The project will be completed in five phases and is expected to be completed by 2025. Phase 1 is in progress and involved the procurement and installation of coarse and fine screens to filter water. Concurrently, changes in water usage procedures have been introduced which have also contributed towards reducing the total amount of water used.

  • Solar Energy:

    During the course of 2022, five businesses have joined AMP Meats and Alpha Packaging by installing solar power at their businesses:

    a. Profeeds – solar power has been installed at seven out of fortyseven stores throughout the country to ensure continuous supply of electricity, and to save on energy.

    b. Colcom – solar power used to support its IT server.

    c. Mafuro Farming – solar power is used to run the office buildings.

    d. IAL Head Office – solar power provides 50% of its electricity requirements.

    e. Providence Human Capital – All offices and health facilities are running on solar. In partnership with a solar company, Providence has extended solar loan facilities to its employees.

solar-panels

  • Supplementary solar for refrigeration – AMP Meats

    AMP Meats started the trials on solar powered refrigeration containers at the AMP Shop at the start of 2022 and has managed to produce a total of 5 764 kWh of electricity during 2022. AMP Meats is considering rolling this initiative throughout its 46 stores across the country.

  • Electric forklifts – Natpak

    Natpak has started to change from using diesel to electric forklifts in its factories to improve the air quality in the work environment. Currently four out of its six forklifts are electric and the two remaining diesel forklifts are not used in the production areas.

  • New Packaging – Prodairy

    In January 2022 Prodairy launched its new Tetra Edge packaging, which is made of 88% natural renewable plant based resources. This includes the screw cap and coating of its cartons, which have been certified by the international not for-profit, multi stakeholder governance group, Bonsucro, as they are made from byproducts from sustainable sugar cane production. The paper used in the Tetra Edge packaging is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified, sourced from responsibly managed forests and other controlled sources.

Zero

  • Zero waste philosophy – National Foods

    National Foods’ zero waste philosophy continued to be made possible as a result of its cyclonic boilers in Harare and Bulawayo, which recover energy by incinerating waste, such as used plastic sacks, at high temperature to produce the steam required for processing its stockfeed products. This is done in a manner that maintain air emissions within its current green band, as set in its emissions permit. During 2022, a total of 482 tonnes of nonrecyclable waste was incinerated at the boilers.

    Profeeds started using National Foods’ Harare cyclonic boiler by sending 30 tonnes of the 482 tonnes of suitable waste to the boiler, reducing its waste to landfill and National Foods’ reliance on coal.

  • Recycling initiatives – Natpak & Alpha Packaging

    Natpak and Alpha Packaging continued with their successful recycling initiatives. Natpak installed a pelletiser, vibrator and drier to improve the efficiency of its recycling plant and quality of the final products. Industrial plastic waste, both internal and external, is recycled into pellets. These are used internally for making black sheeting and also sold to other players in the industry. During 2022, 713 tonnes of recycled waste was recycled at the plant.

    Natpak also launched a new initiative whereby they collect plastics from their clients. During 2022, 17.2 tonnes of recyclable plastic was collected.

    Alpha Packaging continued to produce egg trays from 100% waste paper. A total of 743 tonnes of recycled paper was used in 2022.

  • Contract Grower Programme – Irvine’s

    Irvine’s continued its outgrower programme with 26 independent farmers who supply its processing plant with birds for slaughter. 100% of the broiler chickens processed at Irvine’s are grown by contract farmers.

  • Support for local farmers – Profeeds & Nutrimaster

    Profeeds and Nutrimaster continued to provide an agri-solution for all its customers, who are mainly small-scale farmers, by providing training, agricultural and technical support advice to their customers as well as providing a one-stop shopping service in the areas they operate. This increased local economy transactions and ultimately encouraged local growth.

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  • Women’s Projects

    The Group continued to support groups that empower women in their local communities.

  • Provision of healthcare – Providence Health

    Providence Health through its fourteen clinics, continued to support the Group’s employees and their dependents through the provision of healthcare services as well as assisting on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic as is further detailed on page 169.

  • Community Skills Development within the Group

    The Group in total provided job training opportunities to 158 young people in the form of graduate traineeships, internships, attachments and/ or apprenticeships. Of the 158 students, 45% were women.

  • Licensed to administer COVID-19 vaccinations – Providence Health

    Providence Health played a significant role in the national roll out of the COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters in Zimbabwe during 2022. Via its clinics as well as site visits to Group company premises, Providence Health was very much instrumental in the COVID-19 vaccination and booster campaign for the employees of the Group.

  • School Education – Irvine’s & Colcom

    Irvine’s and Colcom continued to provide access to education for employees’ families and local communities through the provision of primary education at schools located on their farms or by transporting the children to schools within its local area.

farm-visits