The three participating, organic citrus growers (Sunvalley, Groenheuwel and Emerald Acres) have each selected a project linked to their farms that has a direct positive impact for the workers.
At Groenheuvel the focus is not solely on producing, picking and packing the highest quality organic oranges and grapefruits. The farm workers have another passion … football. The workers have organized themselves into four teams and these teams are doing extremely well in the local competition. Since the training facilities were lagging, a new football pitch is being developed. After a lot of hard work the foundations have been laid and the grass has been planted. The idea is to plant a hedge around the pitch and to build a small clubhouse. Part of the Groenheuvel funds will go to this project. The other part will go to a new “outdoor” kitchen facility where the workers can come together and cook their meals. Emerald Acres and Sunvalley will use the funds for both structural improvements for the houses of the workers as well as building new ones. Finding out exactly what the employees want is an essential part of the process. Although much has already been done to improve the living conditions of the workers, there is still a lot to do.
We will keep you updated of all the developments