Sustainability Report 2015

The Clube dos Produtores (Producers’ Club) was launched in 2002 as a Walmart initiative to help small and medium-sized family farmers gain access to the large retail area. The Club suppliers accounted for 12.3% of the volume of fruit and vegetables acquired in the year which benefited the sustainable development of family-owned farms. Walmart intends buying 15% of horticultural products from the Club by 2017.

Since it was launched, the Club has benefited 9,221 families, 468 of which joined the partnership in 2014. They are offered benefits as a means of developing their business, such as priority in unloading products, a differentiated payment period and no exclusivity requirement.

The company also presented the Clube dos Produtores (Producers’ Club) to cooperatives seeking credit and resources from Banco do Brasil, a financial institution that provides this group with loans at differentiated interest rates. The aim was to create partnerships and expand the number of rural producers who benefited.

12.3% of the volume of horticulture acquired from the Club

9,221 family participants, of whom 468 joined the partnership in 2014

Seminário para Técnicos Agrícolas do Mais Gestão (Seminar for More Management of Agricultural Technicians)

Walmart and the Ministério do Desenvolvimento Agrário – MDA (Agrarian Development Ministry) held the 1º Seminário para Técnicos Agrícolas do Mais Gestão (First Seminar for More Management of Agricultural Technicians) in 2014. This event brought together 30 agricultural technicians from the Federal Government's Programa Mais Gestão (More Management Program) which caters to 350 cooperatives throughout the country. The participants received training and guidance on standardizing food for sale in supermarkets, packaging concepts, the importance of certifications and the frequency of delivering products. GRI SO5

The company launched the Guia de Apoio ao Produtor (Producers Support Guide) on sustainable practices in 2014. The publication provides information on good production practices and encourages growers to obtain certifications and carry out actions related to human rights and decent working conditions, the correct use of water and pesticides, the importance of the Código Florestal (Forestry Code) and the Cadastro Ambiental Rural – CAR (Rural Environmental Registration) along with diagnosis forms allowing the producers to identify parts of their business where improvements could be made. The Guide was distributed to agricultural cooperatives and associations throughout the country and is available here.