El Progreso, Yoro. Honduras. Azucarera del Norte S.A. de C.V (Azunosa), an Honduran agro-industrial company that produces and distributes sugar, has donated 3,200 food parcels, which were distributed among cane cutting personnel, permanent and temporary employees, both direct and outsourced as a gesture of unity, solidarity and in gratitude for their hard work in these times of crisis during the Covid19 pandemic. It has also supported the efforts made by communities and local authorities to prevent the spread of COVID19.
Support to Employees
Azunosa, as a socially responsible company, is equipping all its employees with Personal Protection Biosecurity Equipment and implemented security protocols for the prevention of Covid19. One of the measures was directly to benefit their workforce and their families by providing enough food parcels totaling 2,100 food parcels as well as necessary household items such as disinfectants and toilet paper.
Despite the limitations caused by the Covid-19 emergency, the company has continued to operate. Since the onset of the pandemic Azunosa worked for 150 uninterrupted days of hard work until the end of the harvest season. The 2019-2020 was the 42nd harvest in the history of the mill. It is a joint effort that arises from the planting and harvesting of sugar cane with agricultural labor, transportation, processing of sugar cane and its distribution. During each harvest Azunosa produces more than 2,000 jobs, having operations in 11 municipalities in the Sula Valley, a very wide area of land in Honduras.
“We are working for Honduras, it is our mission and commitment to continue operating, maintaining the highest standards and health protocols, to guarantee the supply of our product in Honduran homes. As a company, we are taking all the necessary biosecurity measures while making an investment of more than $ 50,000.00 destined for social aid” expressed Mr. Fabian Kafie, member of the Board of Azunosa.
Supporting the Community
As part of its social actions, Azunosa has maintained an active participation by delivering more than 1,100 food parcels in 52 communities located in 11 municipalities in the Sula Valley, adjacent to the plantations and the sugar mill site. The donation was made through the leaders of the boards of trustees of each community, who appreciated the support in these times of quarantine due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Supporting local authorities
The company has also joined the effort of the local and national authorities, supporting at the municipal level with logistics, equipment and personnel in fumigation and disinfection of entrances and exits to the cities, donation of sugar with vitamin A to include in the food baskets for low-income individuals, provision of biosafety equipment (masks, gloves, digital thermometers) for personnel in tasks such as the armed forces and police, as well as logistical support consisting of food and fuel
“As a company, we have a high level of commitment to our employees, surrounding communities and our country, only by joining efforts will we succeed in creating a safer and healthier community” concluded Mr. Kafie.
Health and Workplace security during COVID19
In order to provide safe workspaces and guarantee the physical and mental well-being of employees, Azunosa has made significant investments in training and biosecurity equipment for the emergency due to COVID-19.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
All the actions undertaken by Azunosa contribute to the fulfillment of the SDGs, specifically SDG N1 that contributes to eradicating poverty and SDG8 that refers to work and economic growth.
Likewise, to guarantee food safety, Azunosa has ISO 22000 certification that assures the quality and safety of food in all its process and throughout the entire food chain.