CORAL GABLES, Fla. — ONE Banana, The Better Banana Company, recently released its 2015 Sustainability Report around their operations in Guatemala: ONE Banana's (ONE) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts – from living wage to healthcare initiatives, occupational safety programs to potable water projects – aim to improve employee lives, local communities, and the environment surrounding each farm.
ONE Banana strives to care for employees by providing equal workforce opportunity. Outlined in the Report, ONE exceeded the Living Wage by 27% in its southwest Guatemala operating region. By paying employees a fair salary, the company promotes the welfare of employees and local communities.
ONE Banana is also dedicated to achieving gender equality by giving women the same opportunity as men. As of 2015, women comprised 40% of ONE's packing plant workers, 15% of field workers and 18% of total ONE employees. Overall, ONE generates 9,500+ local jobs in banana operations.
ONE Banana is committed to creating a better life for their employees along with residents in neighboring communities. In 2015, 5,504 people were served at the Human Development Center (HDC) medical clinic. ONE's HDC consists of a state-of-the-art outpatient medical clinic, onsite research department, clinical laboratory, and private school. The facility operates in partnership with University of Colorado Medical School, and offers affordable medical, dental, pediatric, maternal, and pharmaceutical care.
The Nutritious School Snack Program launched by ONE Banana consists of a banana donation initiative with local elementary schools throughout rural Guatemala. By 2015 year-end, ONE had donated 318,605 bananas and 2,643 children benefitted from the program, a 58% jump from 2014.
ONE Banana also supports the environment by implementing conservation standards in order to grow the highest quality bananas. As part of their preservation efforts, the company signed an MOU with the World Wildlife Fund to improve agricultural practices. ONE continues to lead by example, receiving certifications from environmental sustainability organizations: Rainforest Alliance, GLOBALG.A.P., BASC, C-TPAT, SCS Sustainably Grown.
Working towards a greater collective good is at the heart of ONE Banana. "As showcased in our 2015 Sustainability Report, we continue to make CSR programs a priority and believe that taking care of our employees, the environment and the communities in which we farm will have a profound long-term impact and sustained positive benefits," says ONE's Corporate Director Bernhard Roehrs.
ONE Banana hopes to see growth in all aspects of its CSR programs throughout 2016 and beyond. For more information about ONE Banana, please visit their website: http://www.onebananas.com
ABOUT ONE BANANA
ONE BANANA: http://www.onebananas.com a family-owned company operates in the US, Guatemala, Europe, Peru, Mexico and Ecuador. Emerging as a leader in socially responsible and environmentally sustainable farming, ONE Banana's corporate social responsibility projects: workplace safety standards, water conservation/rainwater collection technologies plus industry-leading worker benefits, has benefited 19,000+ people across 12 rural Guatemalan communities.
Source: ONE Banana
