On 20 March, the International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with the Ukrainian Berries Association (UBA) and Nestle Ukraine organised a one-day training on social responsibility in business and core labour standards to help facilitate EU market entry for Ukrainian companies in the berry sector. The training was carried out in the framework of the 'Eastern Partnership: Ready to Trade' project, funded by the European Union as part of its EU4Business initiative.
Participants were informed on the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) based on Nestle Ukraine’s experience. The Nestle speakers elaborated on their own CSR practices – "Creating Shared Values" – implemented both in Ukraine and worldwide. Among the practices were nutritional lessons for children in local schools, including Nestle Healthy Kids, educational programmes for farmers, and a youth employment programme - Readiness for work.
The agenda also included discussion on public attitudes to CSR, the UN's International Labour Organization convention, ethics and code of conduct for suppliers, standards and a practical guide for CSR implementation. At the end of the training, the companies were more aware about CSR audit requirements based on real business cases.
The main objective of the training was to raise awareness for Ukrainian berry companies on the importance of CSR and how to address sustainable development and global market trends.
The Eastern Partnership: Ready to Trade project helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access new markets with a focus on the EU, helping SMEs identify and comply with quality and standards to meet international requirements, linking them with buyers along the value chain, and providing cluster support.
