Corporate Social Responsibility

. . . A Preamble to our Commitment

At Guts, we believe in diverting from business as usual to reinvest in fulfilling our larger societal goals. The measure of our success comes from looking beyond the top line of our business and into the value created for the society at large, encompassing our investors, consumers, customers, employees, suppliers and the community.

Guts, while a young organization, aims to continue is growth towards being one of the most admired and valued Nutrition-based companies in Ethiopia. We will achieve sustainable growth by enhancing the nutrition, health and well being of the community. We will conduct business in an ethical manner, guided by our strong commitment to integrity, safety, and the principles of social and environmental responsibility. In communities where we operate, we will produce safe, high-quality nutritious foods, reduce environmental impacts, and maintain business and labour practices that ensure human safety and dignity. As a local company, we will also make Ethiopia a better place to live by helping people in need through community partnerships and humanitarian organizations.

We aim to demonstrate these responsibilities through our actions and within our corporate policies. Our Corporate Social Responsibility Policy stands on the following pillars:

 NUTRITION, HEALTH AND FOOD SAFETY

We are dedicated to provide superior quality, safe and nutritious food that enhances the health and wellness of the community. At home, we strive to achieve the highest nutrition standards for our employees by targeted interventions; and for the community, we will continue to introduce new and revolutionary products to the consumer market that meet the highest nutritional standards while maintaining the highest standards of food safety management systems across our factories. This will help millions of humans achieve a healthier diet and assist in addressing malnutrition in the country.

 SUSTAINABLE SOURCING AND ENHANCED LIVING

We believe in linking the markets to the farmers of Ethiopia. Guts will continue to engage in providing new market opportunities to small-holder farmers by sourcing Chickpea, Maize and Soy through forward contracting with Federal Cooperative Unions, thereby directly impacting the livelihoods of small-holder farmers.

HEALTH AND HYGIENE

We strive to achieve a standard of hygiene and safety across our value chain and extending it to the community. Our factories work on the strictest hygiene norms, which is a mandatory code of conduct for all our employees. Outreaching the society with the same principles, we will provide the safe, potable drinking water to the community, thus preventing life threatening diseases.

WOMAN EMPOWERMENT

We believe that women form the foundation of a functioning society. Extra income in the hands of women leads to positive changes in human development through increased spending on education and nutrition of children. Guts employs women at key positions in its organization and creates equal opportunities for their growth. At community level, Guts supports women’s organizations that provide sustainable economic prospects to women in rural and peri-urban areas.

WORKFORCE AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

We believe that equity and sustainability are inextricably linked together. Inclusive economic growth is essential in characterising any organization’s or the society’s progress. At Guts, our employees are at the centre of our growth structure. We invest in the development of our employees through talent identification and participate in their progress through educational incentivization. For the community at large, we support establishments that work in Human Development & aid in organization of events to support orphans, youth and elderly citizens.

WEALTH WITHOUT WASTE

Environmental sustainability forms a key pillar of any organization’s growth. We strive to be a responsible citizen in Ethiopia’s growth story. Guts has reduced the carbon footprint through educated interventions in recycling waste water, alternative uses for solid wastes and energy-saving initiatives. We also support government and other establishment-led outreach programmes to educate the populace of the detrimental environmental issues of generating irrevocable wastes.

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE THROUGH EDUCATION

We imagine a future with education as a fundamental human right. Children are the face of any society’s prospects, and education helps in creation of responsible citizens of the future. Guts has pledged to support the education and well-being of the children of its employees within the organization and of the underprivileged adolescents in Ethiopia. GUTS Agro Industry Plc