Honduran Palm Oil Giant Dinant Corporation Releases Annual Report on and Security and Human Rights Changes

Corporacion Dinant today published its Annual Security Report, a detailed and transparent account of the policies, procedures and significant improvements that the company has undertaken in Honduras over the last 12 months to safely secure its facilities while engaging peacefully and respectfully with local communities.  The Annual Security Report highlights many achievements, including:

Dinant Corporation in Honduras

Corporacion Dinant’s operating facilities have been granted ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 status as a mark of their progress in environmental management and occupational health & safety.
In total, 12 out of Dinant’s 14 operating sites – including all of Dinant’s consumer manufacturing facilities, African Palm Oil plantations in Lean and Aguan Valleys, an extraction mill and greenhouses, as well as the Corporate headquarters in Honduras – were each awarded the internationally acclaimed certifications.

  • Uniquely in Honduras, Dinant is implementing the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights that govern how we vet, recruit and train our security guards, and how they engage with the public.
  • Dinant has removed all firearms from security men and women at all plantations and factories in Honduras. Security staff and contractors now carry only a baton, whistle, mobile phone and high-visibility vest.
  • Dinant’s enhanced Security Manual – the result of months of consultation and 3,600 hours of training for staff and contractors – enforces the company requirement that employees and contractors act with respect and courtesy towards members of the public at all times.  It draws on our Ethics Standards, our Human Rights Policy, and extensive training by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Dinant spokesman, Roger Pineda, said, We recognize that security is essential but often challenging.  Dinant is working hard to improve difficult situations in some of the poorest parts of Honduras by respecting human rights, by following local laws and international standards, and by mitigating the potential for conflict.  We want to recognize, take responsibility for, and fix our mistakes – professionally and openly – and learn from them, which is why our security professionalization program is ongoing and evolving. Through continued training, 100% background checks and re-vetting procedures, and greater reliance on company security staff rather than contractors, Dinant intends to improve its security procedures yet further over the coming months and years.”

Mr. Pineda continued, Dinant is investing significantly in enhancing its security procedures, environmental practices and community programs.  With the recent launch of our Community Grievance Mechanism, the granting of ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 status to all 14 of Dinant’s operating sites as a mark of their progress in environmental management and occupational health & safety, and the publication of this Annual Security Report, we are confident that Dinant is leading the way in Honduras and the Central America region in how we secure our facilities, protect the environment, and engage with local people.”

Dinant’s Annual Security Report is available here: http://www.dinant.com/index.php/en/sala-de-prensa/comunicados/308-annual-progress-report-dinant-security-and-human-rights-implementation-program

About Corporacion Dinant

Corporacion Dinant is a family-owned consumer products manufacturer founded in Honduras in 1960 by Miguel Facusse.  Our products are sold throughout Central America and the Dominican Republic, and are exported to global markets.  Dinant employs 8,000 people, directly supports over 22,000 livelihoods, generates many millions of US dollars in exports for the Honduran economy, and contributes significantly to the economies of all communities and countries in which we operate.  Dinant rigorously benchmarks it operations against the principles of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) regarding the economic, environmental and social impact of our African Palm oil business.  We recently launched a Community Grievance Mechanism to provide members of local communities with a simple, safe and convenient way of communicating with the company.

CORPORATE RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
Media contact: Roger Pineda, roger.pineda@dinant.com, +(504) 2239-8800

Press Release source: Corporacion Dinant http://www.dinant.com

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