Corporate Social Review Magazine 1st Quarter 2012 | Page 42

L

ong before corporate social responsibility found a place in the corporate lexicon, it was already textured
into NWK’s value system. While skills training and capacity building is an ongoing investment, NWK
consistently strives for social sustainability in agriculture and is increasingly looking at ways to further
the intention, spirit and goals of its original ideals. Technical sophistication, diversification, ecological practices
for crop and livestock as well as innovative marketing and distribution methods are now well established and
incorporated into business practices. Social accountability issues in agriculture are being advanced through
the company’s CSR policy that is based on the relationship between three important aspects, namely: NWK’s
framework for consistent and sustainable involvement; NWK’s prudent community orientated spending; and
NWK’s commitment to and cooperation with local communities to uplift them and improve sustainability.
According to Danie Marais, Executive Director of NWK Ltd in Lichtenburg, bettering South Africa’s agricultural
industry should not fall solely on the producer. Everyone in the food chain needs to adopt a sense of fairness
and responsibility for education, socio-economic development of villages by empowering small and marginal
farmers to employ diversified activities like dairy, poultry farming
and horticulture, and embracing scientific use of various inputs
like liquid fertilizers. Ways to improve the overall wellbeing of
farm labourers should also be identified. Social sustainability in
agriculture successfully integrates environmental conservation
and quality trading standards, and recognizes agricultural labour as a skilled profession.

“ Bettering South Africa’s

agricultural industry
should not fall solely on
the producer.”

The ever-increasing demand for food places farmers under immense pressure to progressively increase
production, despite macro-economic and climate uncertainties. NWK provides a range of expert agricultural
services and inputs under one umbrella. According to Marais, NWK’s new corporate slogan – Your Grip on
the Market – succinctly describes their mission to support farmers in the North West Province to develop
their agriculturally-related products and resources. . “The company operates in five segments, namely grain
services and marketing; retail, which encompasses the mechanisation business unit, the seed department, a
liquid fertilizer plant and fertilizer marketing; financial services; insurance; and industries, comprising Epko,
Noordfed, Opti Chicks, Opti Feeds and NWK Transport,” says Marais. The new slogan forms part of NWK’s
improved corporate identity that coincides with initiatives to recruit more specialized professionals, present focused personnel training, upgrade infrastructure and instigate a more dynamic consultative collaboration with
both existing and prospective clients.

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CORPORATE SOCIAL REVIEW