Providing balanced nutrition for our forestry workers in South Africa
Mondi South Africa has launched the Food 4 Forests programme to ensure that workers in our forestry operations receive a balanced, nutritious meal no matter where they work.
Recent research suggests that 50% of male forestry workers and 25% of female forestry workers in South Africa do not consume sufficient calories during their working day. As a result, they lack the energy required to undertake demanding physical tasks and often experience fatigue and poor concentration. Consequently, they become less productive and increase their risk of injury. For workers with symptomatic or asymptomatic HIV/AIDS the health risks can be even greater. |
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The challenge
In 2008 Mondi South Africa launched the Food 4 Forests programme to ensure that Mondi employees and contractors working in forestry operations receive and consume a nutritionally balanced meal during their lunch break. Putting the programme into practice raised a number of practical challenges: for example, what kind of meals to provide and how best to transport them to workers operating at a considerable distance from any amenities.
The solution
During 2008 the Mondi team piloted a number of different menu and delivery options offering different groups of workers hot or cold lunches, delivered to them during the day or carried by them to work in the morning. These pilot studies highlighted a number of issues, including workers’ tendency to save the cold meals for their dependents and the problem of litter disposal.
A final decision about how best to deliver meals to workers has yet to be made, but the programme is moving forward. Full implementation of the phased programme will start in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands in early 2009 and other areas should be served by the middle of the year. In preparation, 12 kitchens are being renovated and catering contractors will soon be appointed.
Outcome
The Food 4 Forests pilot programme, a unique exercise in the South African forestry industry, should deliver one obvious benefit: better nourished forestry workers, ready to complete a productive day’s work with a reduced risk of accident or work-related illness. In addition, the project is also expected to create 250 new catering jobs and require the development of vegetable gardens to meet increased demand for fresh food. These gardens should provide an additional source of revenue for local people.
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Last change: 25.03.2010