Press Release: Heineken/BRANA and SOIL announce sale of EcoSan compost in Haiti

Soil restoration and livelihood creation in the Pearl of the Antilles: BRANA and SOIL announce sale of EcoSan compost in Haiti

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI – Haiti was once known as the “Pearl of the Antilles” for its incredible productive capacity. In an unprecedented private sector partnership that will help rebuild Haiti’s soils to their former potential, SOIL (Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods), a well-respected non-profit sanitation provider in Haiti and a leader in the ecological sanitation (EcoSan) movement, and BRANA (Brasserie Nationale d’Haiti S.A), a member of the multinational company HEINEKEN, announce the sale of 50,000 gallons of SOIL’s EcoSan compost to support local sustainable agriculture production. The 50,000 gallons of compost that BRANA has purchased for the amount of US$ 30,000, will be used to test the compost’s ability to increase local sorghum yields. This partnership represents a collaborative effort to support livelihood creation, improve public health, and promote environmental restoration in Haiti by creating a market for locally-produced EcoSan compost.

In recognition of this important partnership, the Clinton Foundation has also made a grant to SOIL of $25,000 for additional agricultural research aimed at evaluating the most effective methods to boost local yields and increase farmer incomes.

About EcoSan

SOIL builds ecological sanitation (EcoSan) systems in Haiti that safely transform household wastes into rich, organic compost through a simple process of monitored composting. Adapting this centuries-old process used widely in the developed world to a context like Haiti has the potential to increase access to affordable sanitation services while simultaneously producing thousands of gallons of rich, agricultural-grade compost to rebuild Haiti’s fragile soils and increase local productive capacity.

Why It Matters

Over 2/3 of the world’s population has no access to adequate sanitation services, and, as a result, waterborne disease is one of the leading causes of death in children under 5 in developing countries. While aquatic ecosystems are becoming increasingly polluted with nutrients from human waste, the soils of many developing countries exhibit rapidly declining fertility, reducing agricultural production and leading to poverty and malnutrition. By turning wastes into safe soil enhancer SOIL’s ecological sanitation work serves as a replicable model for how sustainable sanitation practices can fight both waterborne illness and malnutrition at the same time.

Impact Potential

The unprecedented collaborative partnership between BRANA and SOIL has the potential to serve as a global example of how synnergy between private companies and the non-profit sector can improve livelihoods and environmental restoration in the developing world by creating a demand-driven market for sustainably produced, local agricultural products.

“We are very happy to be able to support SOIL’s activities in Haiti. I have witnessed the excellent job that they have been doing and how this supports the lives of tens of thousands of people. The compost that they produce as a byproduct of their ecological sanitation programs is a valuable soil enhancer that will improve agricultural production in Haiti and will help BRANA source more agricultural products locally, thereby supporting BRANA’s long-term social and economic development goals in the country.”
– Donald Emerant, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, BRANA Haiti

“By buying our compost and getting it to the farmers that need it most, BRANA is supporting a local economy based on sustainable nutrient management in Haiti. BRANA’s purchase represents a paradigm shift in how businesses and organizations can support Haiti’s agricultural and sanitation sectors through viable social business development, rather than through traditional, inherently unsustainable aid. The compost purchased by BRANA will increase farmers’ yields, improve the crops that BRANA purchases from local farmers, and help to rebuild Haiti’s agricultural soils, once hailed as the most fertile in the world. And, by demonstrating a vibrant market for EcoSan-produced compost in Haiti, BRANA sets the course for a demand-driven, sustainable sanitation revolution that has the potential to spread nationally and even globally.”
– Sasha Kramer, Executive Director, SOIL

About SOIL:

SOIL’s work represents one of the most successful examples of the paradigm-shifting idea that sanitation ought to be conceived of as an economically profitable process of nutrient capture and reuse, rather than merely as a problem of disposal. Since building Haiti’s first EcoSan toilet in 2006 and first waste treatment facility in 2009, SOIL has gone on to become one of the country’s most well-respected non-profit organizations. SOIL’s EcoSan waste treatment facilities (in Cap-Haitien and Port-au-Prince) now treat more than 30,000 gallons of human waste per month, providing a powerful example of how public-private partnerships can increase access to sustainable sanitation services and affordable soil ammendments worldwide. Visit www.oursoil.org to learn more and visit us on Twitter @SOILHaiti or on Facebook at Facebook.com/SOILHaiti.

About HEINEKEN’s Brasserie Nationale d’Haiti (BRANA) in Haiti:

The BRANA brewery was created in 1973 by Mr. Michael Madsen. HEINEKEN has been involved with BRANA since the 80s, and owned 22,5 % of the shares until the beginning of 2012 when it acquired more shares. HEINEKEN currently owns 95% of BRANA’s shares. BRANA directly employees over 1200 people in Haiti and supports the livelihoods of close to 50,000 Haitians indirectly through its distribution and sales. BRANA aims to be a key partner for growth in Haiti. We are committed to the long term and sustainable development of Haiti and of the Haitian professionals.

BRANA sells a wide range of products, including: Prestige, lager beer, winner of two gold medals from the Beer World Cup: 2000 and 2012; Guinness, stout beer produced in Haiti under license from Diageo; Malta H, malted drink; TORO, energy drink; King Kola, soft drink; Pepsi Cola, soft drink produced in Haiti under license from Pepsi Co; 7 UP, soft drink produced in Haiti under license from Pepsi Co; Heineken, lager beer imported from the Netherlands, produced by HEINEKEN; as well as other imported wines and liquors.

About HEINEKEN International

HEINEKEN is a proud, independent global brewer committed to surprise and excite consumers with its brands and products everywhere. The brand that bears the founder’s family name – Heineken® – is available in almost every country on the globe and is the world’s most valuable international premium beer brand. The Company’s aim is to be a leading brewer in each of the markets in which it operates and to have the world’s most valuable brand portfolio. HEINEKEN wants to win in all markets with Heineken® and with a full brand portfolio in markets of choice. The Company is present in over 70 countries and operates more than 165 breweries with volume of 221 million hectolitres of group beer sold. HEINEKEN is Europe’s largest brewer and the world’s third largest by volume. HEINEKEN is committed to the responsible marketing and consumption of its more than 250 international premium, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. These include Heineken®, Amstel, Anchor, Biere Larue, Bintang, Birra Moretti, Cruzcampo, Desperados, Dos Equis, Foster’s, Newcastle Brown Ale, Ochota, Primus, Sagres, Sol, Star, Strongbow, Tecate, Tiger and Zywiec. Our leading joint venture brands include Cristal and Kingfisher. Pro forma 2012 revenue totalled €19,765 million and EBIT (beia) €3,151 million. The number of people employed is over 85,000. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares are listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on the Reuter Equities 2000 Service under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN’s website: www.theHEINEKENcompany.com.

About The Clinton Foundation:

The Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation works to improve global health, strengthen economies, promote health and wellness, and protect the environment by fostering partnerships among governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and private citizens to turn good intentions into measurable results. Since 2001, the Clinton Foundation’s work has resulted in more than 5 million people accessing lifesaving HIV/AIDS treatment; more than 18,000 U.S. schools building healthier learning environments; more than 55,000 micro-entrepreneurs, small business owners, and smallholder farmers improving their livelihoods and communities; and more than 248 million tons of CO2 being reduced in cities around the world. And Clinton Global Initiative members have made more than 2,300 commitments that are improving the lives of more than 400 million people in more than 180 countries. For more information, visit clintonfoundation.org, read our blog at clintonfoundation.org/upclose, and follow us on Twitter @ClintonFdn and Facebook at facebook.com/ClintonFoundation.

Media:

Media inquiries should be directed to:

Sasha Kramer of SOIL at [email protected],

Donald Emerant of BRANA at [email protected],

or Christine van Waveren of HEINEKEN International Press Office (Tel. +31-20-5239-355, Email: [email protected])