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LAURELS
04 July 2014
At the second Tea Festival of Vietnam, held from 8 to 11
November 2013, in Thai Nguyen Province, participating
companies from various countries like Japan, Korea,
Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India were requested to send
samples for tasting by a panel of judges to choose
the best tea entered in
the festival.
Phu Ben Tea Company
was awarded the
‘
Golden Leaf Trophy
’.
Mr A. Monem (2nd from left) & Mr R. Takru (3rd from right) with Guests of McLeod Russel at the Gala
July 2014 05
❃ ❃ ❃
This year, the theme for the Annual Spring Gala held at the
American Museum of Natural History, New York, on 7
May, was Celebrate Sustainability.The Rainforest Alliance
presented their Sustainable Standard-Setter Awards for
2014 to ten businesses and individuals that make a
difference by championing sustainability efforts, protecting
the environment and supporting local communities
worldwide. McLeod Russel was the only Indian company
among the ten Sustainable Standard-Setter Honorees.
Mr Rajeev Takru and Mr AzamMonem attended the Gala,
and the latter received the Award on behalf of McLeod
Russel in the presence of global leaders in sustainability.
This great honour and recognition for the Company on a global platform would not have been possible without
the untiring efforts and commitment of the entire Mcleod Russel team on the tea estates.
Rainforest
Alliance
Sustainable Standard-Setter
Award, 2014
“Thanks to its 87,000 employees in
India, Vietnam, Uganda and Rwanda,
McLeod Russel – the world’s largest
private sector tea plantation company –
produces 253 million pounds (115
million kilograms) of tea across 63
estates and 62 factories.These impressive
numbers parallel the Company’s
similarly impressive commitment to
ensuring
social
and
economic
development that sustains and improves
its employees’ quality of life.
In 2009, McLeod Russel achieved
Rainforest Alliance certification on ten
of its estates; four more were certified in
2010 and twenty more followed in 2013
in India. In addition, five tea estates in Uganda, one in Rwanda and three in Vietnam achieved certification over
the past two years.The Company’s support has been instrumental in helping its smallholder farmers in Rwanda
and Uganda achieve Rainforest Alliance Certified status in 2012 and early
2014 respectively. In the coming years, McLeod Russel hopes to achieve
certification on all of its plantations in order to reach standards set through
the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) guidelines.
The Company’s commitment to promoting the welfare of its employees has
been particularly important in India’s Assam region.There, McLeod Russel
has pursued a number of health and education initiatives that cater to
employees, and, since 1995, the Company has worked to improve local
standards of living by promoting traditional woven textiles made by women
belonging to the Bodo ethnic community.”
(Achievements of the 2014 Gala Honorees, RA)
“
Our mission to foster environmental stewardship, social responsibility and mindful consumption is bolstered by new and
ongoing collaborations with companies that are leading the way to a more sustainable future
.” ~ Tensie Whelan, President
of the Rainforest Alliance
Mr Rajeev Takru at the Panel Discussion
Mr Azam Monem with Mr Daniel R. Katz - Chairman &
Ms Tensie Whelan - President, Rainforest Alliance