This month we continue our series of updates on progress towards our sustainability action plan; the Blue Print. Our Blue Print was introduced in our JEE report and includes targets within a variety of categories such as energy, waste, emissions, biodiversity, community impact and fruit procurement.
Management Approach
The JEE report is now published and posters have been created for our sites. We also plan to run a workshop on the JEE at the Blue Skies conference.
Fruit Sourcing
A group supplier database is being developed and is planned to be in use by the end of the year. This will be used to help in the planning of fruit procurement.
Energy and Waste
We are in discussions with the German company EnD-I-AG about carrying out a feasibility study for a biogas plant in Ghana. If agreed this would go ahead within the next few months. Our improved factory waste system for Ghana is due for completion in September.
Economic
Progress is still being made on growing local sales in South Africa, Ghana and Brazil, and steps have been towards finding business in new markets.
Emissions
We are talking to Footprints4Food & Bangor University about what measures can be taken to reduce our footprint with a view to developing an action plan.
Water
Water monitoring sheets have been distributed to sites and data is being compiled. We will use this to draft an action plan for how to reduce consumption.
Biodiversity
A proposal is being drafted for initiating an anti-sand winning Campaign in Ghana, and plans for a tree planting programme will be drawn up later in the year.
Community Impact
Our 2012 projects are well underway and 2013 project proposals are going through the selection process.
Blue Skies has been named ‘Processor of the Year’ at the 2012 Re:Fresh Awards in London
The award recognises the company’s spirit and resolve to rise to challenges and lead the way in quality and innovation, and it further highlights Blue Skies as a leading producer of fresh-from-harvest, prepared fruit.
The Re:Fresh Awards are organised by the Fresh Produce Journal and the UK Fresh Produce Consortium, two organisations which collectively cover the entire spectrum of the fruit, vegetable and flower industries, from seed breeder to supermarket.
Blue Skies was up against four other companies for this award which were Empire World Trade, Fenmarc, International Produce and Worldwide Fruit.
Chairman of the FPC Nigel Jenney said “The standard of entries for Re:fresh 2012 was extremely high. Blue Skies Holdings has overcome the challenges facing airfreight to innovate and succeed, making it a worthy winner of the Re:fresh Processor of the Year Award.”
More information will follow in our May edition of ‘Pelican News’
Click here to download a press release
You can download the newsletter from www.blueskies.com/newsletter/april2012.pdf
Pelican News is a monthly newsletter written by our staff about what’s happening throughout the Blue Skies family.
Blue Skies has won a Waitrose Way Award for ‘treating people fairly’.
The award recognises the Blue Skies Joint Effort Enterprise (JEE) model which promotes diversity and a culture of respect as key components for making a sustainable business. The JEE was pioneered by the Founder of the business Anthony Pile. Anthony believes that being sensitive to cultural individuality and creating an environment where people enjoy coming to work has enabled the company to add value to its products in the country of origin, and offer the consumer exceptional quality products that are delivered ‘fresh from harvest’.
Managing Director George Hutton who picked up the award said “This award demonstrates that treating people fairly within the supply chain makes commercial sense and helps us to deliver the best quality products. It also helps to create a sense of pride among our stakeholders that they are supporting an innovative and ground breaking model for sustainable development in Africa and South America.”
The Waitrose Way is an initiative that has been introduced to promote the philosophy that encompasses the way Waitrose operates. The awards are designed to recognise how suppliers are helping Waitrose to uphold this philosophy and extent its principles within the supply chain. Over 200 suppliers applied under just four different award categories which included ‘Championing British’, Treading Lightly, Living Well and Treating People Fairly. The entries were judged by an independent panel which included the politician and environmental campaigner Zac Goldsmith.
Blue Skies is up for the Processor and Packer of the Year Award after making it through to the 2012 final of the Re:Fresh awards.
The Re:Fresh awards are considered the ‘oscars’ of the fresh produce industry in the UK. They are organised by the Fresh Produce Journal (FPJ) and Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC), two organisations which collectively cover the entire spectrum of the fruit, vegetable and flower industries, from seed breeder to supermarket.
The winners will be announced on the 17th of May and the awards will be presented by the celebrity chef James Martin.
For more information: http://www.refresh.uk.com/awards
Two UK primary schools recently held a Foundation Day to further their ties with a school in Ghana that was recently renovated by the fresh-cut fruit company Blue Skies in partnership with Waitrose and Albert Heijn.
Harlestone and Brington Primary Schools in Northamptonshire are located near to the head office of Blue Skies. Blue Skies have partnered a number of local schools with a view to helping them forge links with some of the schools that the company has supported in Ghana through the Blue Skies Foundation.
During the day over 100 pupils aged between 4 and 11 took part in a variety of activities to learn about life in Ghana. The activities included African drumming and dancing, cooking Ghanaian cuisine and dressing in traditional African costume. Pupils also made their own African masks and learnt about which foods come from Ghana, including the fresh-cut tropical fruits produced by Blue Skies for Waitrose.
In addition to participating in the activities, pupils collected a number of items including pens, rulers and calculators. These will be donated to Akraman Primary School in Ghana which the schools have partnered to strengthen their international ties. Akraman School was renovated in 2010 by the Blue Skies Foundation. The school had been built in 1998 but had been left unfinished with no windows or doors and without proper flooring. As a result, goats and sheep would enter the classrooms, often during lessons, and leave behind a mess. In addition the unsecured classrooms would attract drug-users during the night. The Foundation responded to the school’s plea to make the school fit for purpose and create a safe and attractive environment suitable for the pupils to learn in.
Jan Abrams, Executive Head Teacher of the Althorp Partnership of Primary Schools which includes Harlestone and Brington, said “The day has formed an excellent foundation for our partnership with Akraman School. Feedback from the children and staff has been amazing; everyone had a really good day and the students learnt a lot about how people live in a different part of the world”.
Susan Brightwell who coordinates the schools partnership for Blue Skies in the UK said “We are really excited about linking local schools in the UK with some of the schools we have supported in Africa. We believe in using our global connections to help enrich the education of children where ever we work to help in the development of our next generation of leaders”
Harlestone and Brington hope to make Foundation Day an annual event and are planning to introduce a scrapbook exchange scheme later in the year to allow pupils at the schools to swap some of their work with the children at Akraman School in Ghana.
Above: Students take part in African drumming lessons during Foundation Day.
You can download the newsletter from www.blueskies.com/newsletter/february2012.pdf
Pelican News is a monthly newsletter written by our staff about what’s happening throughout the Blue Skies family.
Blue Skies Ghana Ltd has launched exciting new labels for its freshly squeezed juice products in Ghana.
The new labels have been introduced to enable Blue Skies to distinguish itself as a superior product to the numerous imported juice and soft drink brands that have flooded the Ghanaian market.
The labels are designed to illustrate in a fun and vibrant way how the juice comes fresh from the field and is simply crushed and squeezed into a bottle, with no added sugar or preservatives. The labels also reflect how the company aims to support the community and look after the environment, and to convey the message of how its products are proud to be made in Ghana.
In 2011 the new design won an award for brand identity from the International Food and Beverage Awards (FAB) in London.
Sales and Marketing Manager, Juliana Agyemang, said:
“We believe our new brand design now gives us a world-class label which a world-class product like Blue Skies juice deserves; and it conveys the message that a young Ghanaian company like Blue Skies can take on the big imported brands and win!”
Blue Skies freshly squeezed juice is available in three refreshing flavours. Pineapple, Pineapple and Ginger and Tropical. These products are currently available in 500ml bottles. The company intends to launch a smaller 250ml sized portion during the next few months.
Click here to download a press release
You can download the newsletter from www.blueskies.com/newsletter/january2012.pdf
Pelican News is a monthly newsletter written by our staff, for our staff, about what’s happening throughout the Blue Skies family.
