Social Responsibility

The European Commission estimate that around 20% of all timber imported into Europe has been illegally logged. One of the fundamental reasons for this is that, in many rainforest regions, forestry is the only source of income and as a result, the people who live there have been exploited.
 

* Children from the nearby school at the Kurunegala R&D Nursery site

Our forestry partner is committed to sustainable plantations, believing that to be the answer to a more ethical way of life. As part of this commitment they employ an entirely local workforce and pay well above the minimum wage. Staff work no longer than 8 hours a day and are given ample rest breaks, and in Sri Lanka they are provided with free land with which to grow food for their families.

By providing staff with decent wages and minimum contracts of one year our partners are helping to stop the current migration of semi-skilled labour due to low wages and a lack of long-term prospects.

Our partners have also introduced a finance scheme that offers employees the chance to purchase their own homes or improve their existing accommodation.

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