Ghadeer – Nestle Water Corporate Social Responsibility Program
“Khair Al Sharah”, the commercial name of the project, is an Arabic expression that has a dual meaning; the good that comes from the Sharah mountains, the main source of the water that is bottled under the Nestle Water and Ghadeer brands, and also the good will and intentions behind the project in helping underprivileged communities improve their livelihoods.Partners & Donors
Ghadeer Mineral Water Company “Nestle Water Jordan” established the CSR program to benefit the local communities from which their water factory employees hail from in the Ma’an governorate. Ghadeer dedicated agrarian lands as well as facilities within the campus of its water factory in Husseinieh area in the southern Ma’an governorate of Jordan to the purposes of the project. Ghadeer also provides all financial resources to cover the set up and operational expenses of the project, and focuses on providing sustainable income generating activities to the most underprivileged members of Husseinieh community as well as surrounding communities in the Ma’an governorate.
Summary of Project Benefits
Not applicable
Project Duration
2016 – on going
Project Details
The project started with establishing two green houses for growing herbs. It gradually expanded to include the following:
- An open field farm grown seasonally.
- A vineyard for producing grape leaves for culinary consumption, as well as seedless raisins.
- A food processing facility producing a range of dried, pickled and preserved food products.
- A small bakery providing high quality pastries.
- A tea-bag filling machine that produces six high quality teas infused with wild and heirloom herbal and plant varieties.
Your Benefits
Five full time women beneficiaries work and benefit from the program, in addition to more than twenty seasonal workers (male and female).
All harvests are grown using organic and natural sustainable farming techniques; plant-based organic compost produced on site is used, the water source is clean natural spring water that is a bi-product of water bottling in the Nestle Water factory, and no GMO seeds or seedlings are used in the farm.
No chemical additives or preservatives are used in food processing, and all additional ingredients procured externally for use in food processing are natural an chemical free.
Different fresh fruits and vegetables produced by the farm as well as baked and processed food products are supplied to the factory cafeteria to be served to the more than 200 employees working in the factory.
Recipe makers, flavor managers, and food safety experts provide regular training to beneficiaries to ensure high quality and high flavor products.
The new infused teas line features four wild plant varieties that grow in the Jordanian eastern arid area; local Bedouin community members economically benefit from the project by collecting those wild varieties in a sustainable manner, and are compensated fairly for their labor. This effort contributes to the preservation of those varieties that might otherwise be burnt or uprooted.
Your Commitment
Not applicable
Who can apply?
Not applicable
Interested to know more? Contact JEPA!
Jordan Exporters and producers association for fruit and vegetables (JEPA)
Tel: (+9626) 5699631
Email: Jepa@jepa.org.jo