Leocadia Bongben
12 May 2008
Diageo, the largest multi-national beer, wine and spirits company in the world has unveiled plans to develop the cultivation of sorghum in Cameroon, invest in local farming.
The initiative disclosed at a Business Action event in London to showcase poverty reduction initiatives for developing countries, is expected to benefit some 10,000 Cameroonians as part of plans to meet the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, to enable the poor access to information, business expertise and new employment opportunities.
This Call to Action Business plan responds to the July 2007 UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown's call to governments, NGOs and faith groups to focus efforts and resources on reaching the MDGs by 2015.
According to the UNDP Administrator, Kemal Dervis, the Business Call to Action is not a one-off event, but a commitment to speed up progress on the MDGs and to create a prosperous world for all.
Speaking in Yaounde, the Charge d'Affaires at the British High Commission, Guillian Edwards, expressed delight that the flagship projects under the Business Call to Action involves Cameroon.
"The potential benefits of these projects in Cameroon and elsewhere are enormous," he asserted. He highlighted that Diageo's initiative would provide a sustainable market for local grain, subsidising some 16,000 tonnes that the Cameroon brewery industry currently imports.
"Investing in local farming will mean more jobs and higher incomes to benefit farmers and their families", he said. Guillian said the initiative will provide more raw materials for brewing Guinness and other beers in Cameroon and in building stronger relationships between governments and local communities.
The Diageo CEO, Paul Walsh, said his company shares a long standing commitment to Africa, a business place which continues to play a significant part in the growth of his company.
He argued that the Business Call to Action is not philanthropy but a challenge to companies to use their resources in a way that contributes both to the MDGs and to commercial success.
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