Agropur joins international coalition to tackle inequalities

Economic growth should be inclusive, creating opportunities for all.  Every individual should have a chance to contribute to growth, independent of background or origins. And each person should be entitled to receive their fair share of the benefits from growth. Tackling inequalities has become everyone’s business.

34 major businesses, including Agropur, belong to the ground-breaking OECD-coordinated private-public coalition aimed at promoting inclusive growth. B4IG is a first: never before has there been a global effort to bring together the private, public and philanthropic sectors behind such a comprehensive initiative.

“Tackling inequalities is part and parcel of our values as a cooperative,” says Robert Coallier, CEO of Agropur. “We are determined to play a leading role in finding concrete solutions to reduce inequality and we fully intend to be an engaged member of this coalition.”

 

Three-pronged initiative

The B4IG platform has three major components:

  1. A Business Pledge against Inequalities to advance human rights, promote diversity in the workplace and strengthen inclusion in value chains;
  2. An incubator to support the design and development of inclusive new business models at the leading edge of social innovation and public-private collaboration at the micro-economic level;
  3. An inclusive growth financing forum to generate innovative private, philanthropic and public financing mechanisms.

 

By joining the B4IG initiative, Agropur is committing to:

  • Reducing gender inequality
  • Promoting equal opportunity
  • Reducing geographic disparities

 

Aligned with the Cooperative’s values

Agropur is based on a cooperative business model and believes firmly in the importance of reducing inequality. The Cooperative is an equal opportunity employer. Newcomers regularly join its ranks and increase the diversity of its workforce. And by sharing the wealth (among other things by redistributing its earnings in the form of patronage dividends) Agropur contributes to the vitality of many rural communities in Canada, where its members and facilities make a real difference.