WONG FOUNDATION AND REYBANPAC CONFIRM THEIR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY

Guayaquil, September 7, 2023. Reybanpac and Wong Foundation joined in the Sustainability Panel, a meeting that also included important companies such as Unilever, Veolia, DP World and Difare, with the support of Ecuadorian Chamber of Industries and Production. The participants signed a commitment in order to promote “models of sustainable economic development and social responsibility, to positively influence the environment of each company's stakeholders.”

At this meeting, the main sustainable development objectives on which Reybanpac works were announced, such as responsible production, decent work and economic development, biodiversity preservation, gender equality and quality education.

On the other hand, Wong Foundation shared one of its success stories: the Productive Technical Baccalaureate (BTP) with specialization in agricultural entrepreneurship, which has the endorsement of the Ministry of Education and has been developed in agreement with Reybanpac since 2021. Ricardo Romero, the foundation’s Director, explained that this technical certification is aimed at young people between 18 and 29 years old from the provinces of Los Ríos and Santo Domingo. The point is to increase their chances of early insertion into the labor market and their professional growth, fulfilling two of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN): quality education, decent work and economic growth.

“If we don’t insert young people into the labor market soon, they don’t generate productive capacity and may fall into the system of violence that the country is experiencing. We are directly attacking one of the problems that most afflicts Ecuador today,” Romero said.

To date, two BTP school periods have been completed and 67 young people have graduated; 63 more are currently in the third promotion. 31% of the beneficiaries have been women; precisely, the program constitutes an opportunity to enhance the participation of women in the agribusiness.

“We need dual educational systems. Ecuador needs to strengthen technical careers that contribute to the productive development of our country,” Romero concluded.

In addition, Reybanpac and Wong Foundation are committed to the biodiversity protection: both organizations promote environmental awareness through the care of a 110-hectare protected forest called the Río Palenque Scientific Center. This is the only remaining primary forest in the upper Guayas basin and is the home of more than 1,200 species of plants, 356 species of birds, among others.

Since 1993, Wong Foundation has responded to the need for quality education access in rural communities near Reybanpac operations. In 30 years, 29 million dollars have been invested in solidarity initiatives, which have positively changed the lives of 70,000 beneficiaries.

The foundation purpose is to stand by people throughout the entire educational process, from early childhood to adulthood. In the words of Vicente Wong, CEO: “we sow the future of our boys and girls through their comprehensive care, development, and involving the family. We empower young people to be agents of change in their communities, and we provide them with tools and opportunities for their professional development. I am proud of the fruits of the Wong Foundation's work every time I witness the success of plantation managers who studied in our schools. As well as many other valuable examples in the community. This confirms that we are on the right path and encourages us to continue with greater strength in our commitment to the community.”