Christmas is a great time for us all to think about what we are grateful for. Despite the challenges of the last eighteen months, we’ve had a brilliant year here at DAABON and it wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing team.
From the staff who work in logistics and administration through to our brilliant farmers and beyond – we want to say a big thank you to all of our colleagues and smallholders, and acknowledge their hard work in this month’s blog.
Read on to discover the people behind the palm, and what we’re doing to support them.
Using Sustainable Palm for Positive Change
We are committed to the concept of “Palm Oil for the greater good”. This means we pride ourselves on providing organic and sustainable palm in a way that benefits both our manufacturers and consumers.
Offering identity-preserved palm, we are advocates of transparency, and take care to ensure that our operations are good for the planet, local communities and our employees. Through this, we aim to transform the perception of palm oil with business and farming practices that put people and the environment first.
Ethical Palm Oil - Respecting the Land and People
We are founded on strong principles of solidarity and responsibility, and our dedication to our staff is evident through the various sustainability policies we have in place.
As a family company, we understand how important it is to form honest and fair partnerships with the farmers. As many growers have been using their land for several generations and rely on it to make a living, it’s essential that they are treated with respect and fairly reimbursed for their work.
A Partnership Programme for Peace and Prosperity
We support hundreds of family farmers in Colombia, and we were the first company in the country to buy sustainable palm from small landholders. In addition to palm, these smallholders also grow other crops such as cacao and organic fruit.
The farmers in Northern Colombia have experienced unfortunate hardship and challenges, and have struggled historically in creating a stable livelihood for both themselves and their families. This was caused by several factors, with many being forced to leave the region to escape from conflict. This prompted us to pilot a government initiative in 1999 titled Alliances for Peace. This was a smallholder programme aimed at creating opportunities for families who were returning to the region, as well as those who had remained.
Today, more than 500 families are growing cocoa and oil palm in one of these alliances, and the farmers benefit from good credit terms – as well as receiving technical support which enables long-term sustainable agricultural practices. Combined with our Fairtrade and RSPO programmes, we can make sure that farmers and their families enjoy a better quality of life.
You can find out what the farmers themselves have to say about this in our blog here.
Looking Forwards to a Sustainable Future
Producing quality palm that is organic and certified sustainable wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated team. We’re proud to work alongside all of our colleagues, and look forward to continuing a long-lasting and prosperous relationship well into the future, and we’re grateful for them each and every day.
As December draws to a close, we’d like to wish all of our staff and customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We can’t wait to see what next year brings for our business - and we look forward to a more sustainable future.
Get in Touch
To order certified sustainable palm oil, or to find out more about our sustainability pledges please get in touch today