April 2024
We're deligted to share this photo we've received from Pierre Burger, the Managing Director of Protea Farm (KOO Orchards), supported by exporter Icon Fruit. Protea Farm is one of our Waitrose Foundation third party growers.
The worker committee had discussions about how to apply available funds from the Waitrose Foundation and decided to use it to buy gas stoves so that they can still cook food during times of loadshedding. Many of our grower partners have opted to apply funds in this way - from purchasing rechargeable lights and gas stoves to installing solar panels. The focus is on securing useful items for the worker community to make loadshedding periods easier to deal with.
Thank you to Emily Hendricks (our Exporter Liaison) who followed up on the project with Biagio Bubalo, Commercial and Logistics Coordinator at Icon Fruit, with MD Pierre Burger at Protea Farm. Protea Farm is situated in the KOO valley, 29km from Montagu.
