Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Rajon Vanilla adheres to all CSR guidelines in the region.

The farmers Rajon Vanilla partners with are periodically sent for trainings and agricultural tradeshows and fairs in order for them to enhance their skills and also network with other farmers and potential buyers.
Rajon Vanilla also ensures that it gives first choice of business to Female owned farms as well as family-oriented farms. This is in an effort to improve the standards of living in the communities in which they source their vanilla.

Adopt risk management strategies to protect farmers and other value chain actors in Uganda from price volatility. Given the potential of vanilla actors to work together toward common goals, a fair price scheme could be developed and adhered to based on living income data and costs of production.

Enhance the reputation of Uganda vanilla on the global market. Launch a marketing campaign to promote Uganda vanilla as the world’s number one source of premium quality natural vanilla.

Smallholder farmer organizations focusing on vanilla will need to be created or strengthened to further consolidate smallholder farmer position as relevant actors on the chain. The Rajon Vanilla experience in building economies of scale is that this process usually takes 7-10 years of accompanying farmer organizations to sufficient levels of maturity. Rajon Vanilla will apply its existing set of tools to this challenge and develop more in the coming years.
Design climate-smart production systems using diverse agroforestry systems as a foundation. Given the probable impacts of climate change on vanilla in Uganda in the coming years, this component is paramount to a successful country level strategy. Vanilla farm landscapes should include appropriate tree-based agriculture services (shade, nitrogen fixing, fuel and fodder resources), soil conservation strategies that increase water retention and drainage, and intercropping strategies of other cash and food crops.