Kerry Group’s global and local support of social sustainability encouraged their surpassing of the target milestone by more than 100%.
Kerry Group has a longstanding tradition of community support, originating from its cooperative roots. In 2023, Kerry's commitment was demonstrated through various flagship programmes and local initiatives. The company partnered with NGOs like the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Concern Worldwide and contribute significantly to local causes and charities, via its MyCommunity programme, and initiatives such as Kerry Social Farming.
At a local level, Kerry’s MYCommunity programme, launched in 2020, set a site-level goal for support of local causes, with employees also receiving paid volunteering leave. In addition to this, initiatives such as Kerry Social Farming (KSC) have received support. KSC is a locally led, community-based, shared service that provides farming and social inclusion opportunities to people with physical and intellectual disabilities within their local communities. Through its on-farm sustainability programme Evolve, Kerry provides additional funding to KSC and promotes farmer engagement with the scheme.
Internationally, Kerry's Project ALIVE, a four-year partnership with Concern Worldwide, focuses on improving agricultural livelihoods in Kenya. The programme has trained over 4,400 farmers in climate resilience, agronomics, and pest managemnet to date. In Burundi, Project Amata, undertkane with the WEP, has been designed to equip farmers to run a profitable enterprise and to work to improve food security. To date, a total of 364 farmers (123 womens and 241 men) have been enrolled and educated. The project has been established with a focus on educating local farmers and helping them to build a sustainable farming culture that wiull raise local incomes and feed children as well as enhance food security through improved food production and processing.
Filligan's, a family-run business since 1997, crafts award-winning preserves, chutneys, and relishes in Co. Donegal using traditional methods and recipes with finest ingredients, ensuring quality and authentic flavours. Their commitment to excellence has made them a beloved choice across Ireland and beyond.
View Story
McCabe's Coffee Ltd, founded in 1997, is an award-winning specialty coffee roaster based in Co. Wicklow. The company is dedicated to sustainable and ethical coffee production, sourcing organic beans, and investing in eco-friendly projects like solar panels and electric vehicles. Their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint includes initiatives such as tree planting.
View Story
Founded in 1975 by Sean Loughnane, a former butcher, Loughnane’s began as a retail shop in Galway and has since evolved into a specialist in diverse meat products. They now offer sausages and puddings in chilled and frozen forms across Ireland and beyond, incorporating innovation and R&D to meet customer demands and enter the plant-based meat alternative market.
View Story