Socio-economic development

This year, in an effort to keep an engagement channel open for continuous dialogue, The Pioneer Foods Fund (“The Fund”) website was launched. This will enable all stakeholders to study the projects, understand the investment criteria and also allows for online application to The Fund.

All projects should align with The Fund’s vision, put into practice under the guidance of the newly appointed Fund chairman Mr Andile Sangqu.

The development boundaries are nutrition, agricultural initiatives, environmental sustainability and disaster relief.

Hereunder a synopsis of the flagship projects.

		FoodBank SA		Stellenbosch Community Development Programme		African Children’s Feeding Scheme		Red Cross
Development boundary		Nutrition		Nutrition		Nutrition		Disaster relief
Vision		To create a food redistribution network with a national footprint		To provide food to the most needy and malnourished children at two Stellenbosch primary schools and their families (Total number of children at schools receiving feeding: 2,014; and also 60 families who receive food parcels).		Feeding children in Gauteng.		Disaster management is one of the core programmes for the South African Red Cross and includes disaster preparedness, disaster response and the restoration of family links.
Investment medium		Pioneer Foods invested funds to support infrastructure for the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal regions and product donation to the Port Elizabeth region. FoodBank SA received the majority of the 2008/09 total funds and is seen as a strategic partner of The Pioneer Foods Fund.		Pioneer Foods contributed funds to add milk to the daily diet and improve the nutritional status which in turn contributed to significant improvements in both under and over nutrition among students (independent screening tests done by university of Cape Town).		Co-sponsors the feeding of 21,000 children in Soweto, East Rand and Alexandra in 13 feeding centres, six mobile vans and five delivery tricycles. Pioneer Foods contributed funds to address the need to add milk and cheese to the food parcels distributed. An independent evaluation was conducted by Greater Good SA on behalf of The Pioneer Foods Fund and this confirmed the benefits to recipients, as a result of the contribution.		Pioneer Foods contributed funds to assist the Western Cape branch to address the issues highlighted above after the winter floods.
Rand value		R2 000 000		R437 500		R1 333 000		R150 000

In total The Pioneer Foods Fund undertook 11 projects with investments made in the following provinces: