FrieslandCampina China wins award for achievements in rural vitalization

FrieslandCampina China won the Pioneer in Advancing Rural Revitalization Award for its contribution to rural vitalization through its corporate social responsibility project "Loving Yuesao" at the 2022 European Union Chamber of Commerce in China Sustainable Business Awards Conference and Ceremony held in Shanghai on Thursday.

The EUCCC Sustainable Business Awards have been successfully held for five years. With sustainable development as the primary concern, the awards recognize outstanding enterprises that promote sustainable economic growth, carbon emission reduction and environmental protection, diversification, rural vitalization and others to promote sustainable business practices and a balance between business development and sustainable operation to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25).

A total of 55 applications competed for six categories of awards this year. FrieslandCampina China is the only company that won the Pioneer in Advancing Rural Revitalization, while eight other companies won awards for carbon emission reduction, environmental protection and diversification.

"Loving Yuesao" is an innovative project that promotes rural vitalization and focuses on the vocational education of rural women. Yuesao means maternity matron. Jointly initiated by FrieslandCampina China and the China Foundation for Rural Development in 2016, it is committed to providing women in less developed areas with professional and systematic training in maternal and child care, as well as housekeeping skills. Disadvantaged women can get employed to improve their economic situation and living conditions.

At this time, the project covers 28 provinces, 176 cities and 430 counties, of which 19 are on the list of key assistance counties under the rural vitalization strategy. More than 2,000 women completed the training, helping them find jobs and double their incomes.

Yang Guochao, senior vice-president of FrieslandCampina China, said: "In 1871, nine Dutch farmers started a dairy cooperative that is known as FrieslandCampina today. We originated from a small village and always connect ourselves with rural areas and farmers. This being said, we started the CSR project in 2016 to support rural vitalization in China. We also support some of the trained women to go back to their hometowns and start their own business.

"This award is a great recognition for our company, as well as more than 15,000 member dairy farmers of the FrieslandCampina cooperative."

As an important part of FrieslandCampina China's CSR strategy, the "Loving Yuesao" project provides good examples and experiences to learn from, the company said.

As the largest dairy company in the Netherlands and one of the top 10 dairy companies in the world, FrieslandCampina has a history of more than 150 years, providing life-cycle nutrition to people in more than 100 countries around the world.

In China, FrieslandCampina has always been enthusiastic about public welfare and has built a CSR system with three pillars－empowering women, caring for children and supporting the dairy industry－to give back to society and the community.