Abbott Earns Two Honors for Shared Value and Supply Chain Excellence

Abbott was recently recoginized by two leading organizations for its work in creating shared value for dairy farmers and its business in India.

On Sept. 30 in New Delhi, Abbott received the 2016 Porter Prize for Creating Shared Value, which recognizes companies for advancing the competitiveness of their business and the health of the communities around it. The same evening in London, Abbott was Highly Commended for Best Supplier Engagement in advancing value chain sustainability at the 2016 Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Awards. These awards recognize Abbott’s approach and results in creating opportunity for dairy farmers in India.

Today, 70 million, or nearly half, of India’s rural households depend on dairying for at least part of their income.  Small-holder farmers who make up the majority of the dairy industry often lack training, business skills, and access to resources and markets, keeping their families out of the organized dairy industry.

To advance the potential of its nutrition business and rural communities in India, Abbott has worked with their partners Prabhat and TechnoServe to provide dairy farmers with the support and infrastructure they need to increase their incomes, while expanding the supply of high-quality milk Abbott's business needs to provide local families with nutrition products made in India. 

A key part of the effort includes targeted support for women. Women conduct the majority of dairying, but often have little decision-making power and training. Abbott is working to address these gaps, which will help to advance the role of women in their communities, while also improving the company's supply chain.

Katherine Pickus, Divisional Vice President of Global Citizenship and Policy at Abbott, said, “The aim of our company is to have a positive impact on the lives of others, through both our products and in how we operate our business. By working together to bring farmers into the organized dairy industry, we’re aiming to strengthen the supply chain, while helping farmers to build better lives and stronger communities.”

This program began in 2015 with the identification of pilot villages in

Maharashtra (Ahmednagar) and will reach ten villages before the end of 2016, with the goal of reaching up to 1,500 farmers.

For more information on this initiative, see a recent blog post from TechnoServe. 

For more information on the Porter Prize for Creating Shared Value, click here. For more information on the Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Awards, click here.

For more information on Abbott's work to advance sustainability across its operations, visit www.abbott.com/citizenship.