SCOPE winning AmCham's CSR award!

SCOPE project partner Dole Stanfilco, through its implementing partner Kasilak Development Foundation Inc., won the 3^rd AmCham CSR Excellence Award. Its activities under the Crates for Trees – A corporate response towards environmental rehabilitation and protection beyond compliance were acknowledged in the category Creating Sustainable Livelihood. The award honors projects or programs that improve peoples’ living standards through sustainable livelihood projects or the promotion of entrepreneurship.

For Dole Stanfilco, protecting the environment is not only mandated by law. It is the company’s commitment to protect the soil that sustains its core business: fruit production. Enhancing critical watersheds through massive reforestation protects the ground water level vital for the plants, while avoiding soil erosion that diminishes fertile ground.

At the same time the company acknowledges the communities’ basic need for construction and fuel-wood and is committed to bring employment and income opportunities to the communities it operates in.

Dole Stanfilco’s effort to engage the communities in income generating activities while protecting the environment is supported by the Strategic Corporate-Community Partnership for Local Development Program (SCOPE) since 2006. Under the Crates for Tree project, Dole allocates funds to support reforestation activities for every plastic crate shipped to the market.

The key to sustained environmental protection and income generation is the production forest concept. Protected areas such as steep slopes and watersheds are planted to slow growing and endemic tree species, while more accessible areas, especially around communities, are planted to fast growing tree species, which can be harvested according to a harvest plan.

The community members actively earn from seedling production, land preparation, planting and harvesting activities and from non-timber forest products such as coffee, abaca, seeds, and fossilized leaves. Currently, the project covers farmer families in 11 municipalities in Bukidnon, Mindanao.

The project’s recognition through an independent third party is an invaluable honor for the SCOPE Team.