Leaf Award Recognises Alliance's Farmer Support

Source from:  Tobacco Reporter 11/24/2011

Alliance One International's Malawi agronomy team has received a Golden Leaf Award for initiatives that promote farmer sustainability and food security in Malawi. The award was presented on November 16 by Tobacco Reporter during TABEXPO 2011, the international tobacco exhibition and congress held in Prague. Mark W. Kehaya, Alliance's chairman and CEO, said Malawi provided an important Burley sourcing market where the company had a factory and a developed presence. "Our Malawi agronomy team has been focused on increasing contract growing through our Integrated Production System (IPS), which we have demonstrated improves quality, crop yields and profit to the farmer," he said Meanwhile, president, J. Pieter Sikkel, said that individual farmer contracting with IPS allowed Alliance's team to help farmers institute best agronomic practices in a compliant and socially responsible manner. "Our model is predicated on farmer sustainability to ensure that tobacco is produced to the quality and quantity required by our customers," Sikkel added. And Graham Kayes, Alliance's regional African director, said the company was honored to receive a prestigious award that reflected its commitment to farmers in Malawi. "I would also like to acknowledge the contribution made by all members of the Alliance One agronomy team in Malawi for making this possible." Enditem