CSR:

Real Foods is proud of its consistently exceptional CSR performance.  We continuously strive to ensure that both our core employees and those along the supply chain are provided with a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work and the best opportunities for personal development that the industry can offer.

The central principle of treating every employee as part of the family remains the corner stone of our CSR policy.  In 1897 the revolutionary Butterworth Trust was founded to provide grants for modernisation to supplier farmers and this trust, with the same core purpose, remains in place today. Our voluntary “Caring Corporate Culture” handbook dictates that we introduce one new CSR initiative each year that will benefit our stakeholders and this is a policy which we are proud to have upheld since 1992, when the handbook was introduced.

Last year we funded six new day centres for the children of our workers in developing nations to ensure that they are given a first-class education.  Having also sponsored the building of a new primary school near our Bakersville headquarters we were able to initiate an exchange programme which saw eight of its primary teachers swap positions with their day centre counterparts for six weeks.  All involved agreed that this was a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge and learn about a different culture; something which they would not otherwise have been able to experience first-hand were it not for the financial support of Real Foods.

Our slogan “the health of nations” is not just a caption; it is an ethos that is ingrained in the company and its employees. Our stakeholders are the most important people in our business and we aim to share our success and profits in a way that improves the health and lives of everyone, regardless of location, age or gender.

The Environment:

Climate change and environmental damage are considered to be driving concerns by the management of Real Foods.  Therefore, in 1997, the “Sustainable Sustenance” programme was launched with the aim of reducing the company’s impact on the environment.  The core “EARTH” strategy lists five main requirements which should be achieved by 2015:

Engage – the company should use its central position in the market to bring together suppliers, employees and experts to form a team which can actively combat the negative effects of climate change.

Alter – change our habits and preconceptions and bring a new way of thinking about the way we utilise our resources to all aspects of our production.

Recycle – 80% of Real Foods packaging should be easily recyclable and investment should be made to improve recycling facilities within our own production units and offices.

Talk – the company should actively promote the need for sustainability and should aim to increase awareness of the issues of climate change and environmental impact amongst the public in ways specifically tailored to local concerns.

Hear – the company should listen to all suggestions on how we may achieve the targets set out in the “Sustainable Sustenance” handbook and attempt to incorporate practical suggestions into our procedure.  This is enforced under our HR guiding principle that innovative without implementation is another idea forgotten.

Copies of our “Caring Corporate Culture” and “Sustainable Sustenance” handbooks are both available upon request from our head quarters at Bakerstown.