Case Study: Kraft and United Nations Volunteers Programme
KRAFT scientists, through the Corporate Private Sector Program (CPSP) and their partnership with United Nations Volunteers (UNV) complete a two-week assignment to help the Jamaican Scientific Research Council improve food processing.
The Opportunity
The Scientific Research Council (SRC) is a statutory organization partially funded by the Jamaican Government. The SRC facilitates growth of the local agro-industrial sector through training, technical assistance and applied research. By adapting or creating technologies for their specific agricultural processing industry, the SRC helps local businesses create value added products like juices, sauces, seasonings, processed meats, jams/jellies and dehydrated foods.
The SRC acquired a single screw extruder knowing it was a versatile piece of food processing equipment. They knew how to use it in a limited way and produce fish feed, but did not know how to capture its broader potential of extruding food for human consumption. Therefore, the SRC needed to learn about the range of products this equipment could make, how to formulate them for quality, safety and consumer acceptance with indigenous ingredients and how to package them properly.
KRAFT’s Pro Bono Investment
In 2001, Kraft launched a partnership with UNV to leverage Kraft’s employee food processing skills and address food production needs in developing countries. With 40 missions completed through 2008, Kraft volunteer teams have helped build up the food industry in more than 30 countries including Albania, Cape Verde, Ecuador, Honduras, Mozambique and Vietnam.
The process: UNV identifies host organizations in developing countries with food production needs and Kraft pairs up particular missions with employee volunteers based on the scope of each request, the size and depth of Kraft’s skill base in that food category and the growth experience for all involved.
Through two weeks of hands-on training and lecture, Kraft volunteers Karen Kane, Alexis Gracia-Lugo and Lyndon Watt taught 17 SRC staff the basics of extrusion formulation and processing. Using indigenous crops like banana, cassava and sweet potato, the Kraft/SRC team co-developed 54 new products, many with a high possibility of scale-up and commercialization. Several formulations were explored for diabetic or nutraceutical applications and all products supported the Jamaican farming industry by using locally grown ingredients. In addition, the SRC staff learned how to properly clean and maintain the extruder, essential skills to maintain food safety, food quality and long term equipment lifespan.
The Impact
The SRC is now equipped to transfer more complete extrusion knowledge and use of indigenous crops to local food processors. This will enable the Jamaican farming and food processing industries to grow and create jobs while producing more nutritious and sustainable food for the Jamaican public, thus supporting the United Nations’ Millenium Development Goals. “Through this partnership, UNV and Kraft Foods are working together to contribute to development through employee volunteerism. By sharing private sector expertise and building the capacity of local entrepreneurs, there are increased opportunities for local employment and income generation,” said UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri. “I hope that other corporate leaders will embrace volunteer action as a good business practice”.
About Corporate Private Sector Program
The goal of the CPSP is to enhance the capacity of private and public enterprise and thereby support long-term sustainable human development worldwide. UNV is the volunteer arm of the United Nations system (www.unv.org). It extends hands-on assistance for peace and development in nearly 150 countries.
About United Nations Volunteers
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development, and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.
About KRAFT
Kraft Foods (www.kraft.com) is the world’s second largest food company with annual revenues of approximately $40 billion and sales in more than 150 countries. For more than a century, we’ve been inspired by consumers to deliver delicious foods that fit the way they live. From American brand icons like Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings, Maxwell House coffees and Oscar Mayer meats, to global powerhouse brands like Oreo and LU biscuits, Philadelphia cream cheeses, Jacobs and Carte Noire coffees, Tang powdered beverages and Milka, Côte d’Or, Lacta and Toblerone chocolates, we’re proud that our brands deliver millions of smiles a day.
