Del Monte Kenya
Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for clobbered parameters|check|nested=1|template=Infobox company|cat=Template:Main other|name; company_name|logo; company_logo|logo_alt; alt|trade_name; trading_name|former_names; former_name|type; company_type|predecessors; predecessor|successors; successor|foundation; founded|founders; founder|defunct; dissolved|hq_location; location|hq_location_city; location_city|hq_location_country; location_country|num_locations; locations|areas_served; area_served|net_income; profit|net_income_year; profit_year|owners; owner |homepage; website }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox company with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | ignoreblank=y | alt | area_served | areas_served | assets | assets_year | aum | brands | company_logo | company_name | company_type | defunct | dissolved | divisions | embed | equity | equity_year | fate | footnotes | headquarters | former_name | former_names | foundation | founded | founder | founders | genre | homepage | hq_location | hq_location_city | hq_location_country | incorporated | image | image_alt | image_caption | image_size | image_upright | income_year | industry | ISIN | key_people | location | location_city | location_country | locations | logo | logo_alt | logo_caption | logo_class | logo_size | logo_upright | members | members_year | module | name | native_name | native_name_lang | net_income | net_income_year | num_employees | num_employees_year | num_locations | num_locations_year | operating_income | owner | owners | parent | predecessor | predecessors | production | production_year | products | profit | profit_year | rating | ratio | revenue | revenue_year | romanized_name | services | subsid | subsidiaries | successor | successors | traded_as | trade_name | trading_name | type | website| qid | fetchwikidata | suppressfields | noicon | nocat | demo | categories }} Del Monte Kenya Limited is a Kenyan food processing company that operates in the cultivation, production, and canning of pineapple products.<ref name="Fox-Liebenthal">Fox, M. Louise; Liebenthal Robert (2006) Attacking Africa's Poverty: Experience from the Ground. World Bank Publications. p. 120. Template:ISBN</ref><ref name="ExportingAfrica"/> The company produces canned solid pineapple, juice concentrates, mill juice sugar and cattle feed. Kenya's largest single manufactured export is canned pineapple, and the country ranks among the top five pineapple exporters in the world, both of which feats are direct results of the company's existence and operations. In the past, the company received negative publicity stemming from conflicts with workers and human rights groups, and the company has been targeted by human rights groups for hazardous conditions at the facility, poor living and working conditions for workers and for intimidating trade union groups.<ref name="Responsibility-7">Bomann-Larsen; Wiggen (2004), p. 161-162</ref> In 2001, the company took significant steps to address and correct matters per these concerns, however as of 2025 there have been numerous fatalities in incidents on Kenyan farms owned by Del Monte.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
History
The company was previously known as Kenya Canners, which formed in 1948.<ref name="ExportingAfrica">Wangwe, Samuel M. (editor) (1995). Exporting Africa: technology, trade and industrialization in Sub-Saharan Africa. United Nations University/Routledge. Template:ISBN</ref> Del Monte Kenya was later renamed Del Monte Royal after control was acquired by two South African families who each owned a 30% share of the company. The remaining 40% was owned by many small shareholders.<ref name="Responsibility-2">Bomann-Larsen; Wiggen (2004), p. 161</ref> This occurred after the sale of the US company Del Monte Corporation in 1965.<ref name="Responsibility-2"/> In 2002, Cirio Alimentare acquired a 98% stake in the company, and following this the company changed its name to Cirio Del Monte Kenya Limited.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} Template:Subscription required</ref> The company was certified under the International Organization for Standardization SA8000 in 2002, and was recertified in March 2006.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Del Monte Kenya also acquired the International Organization for Standardization 9002 certificate.<ref name="Responsibility-6">Bomann-Larsen; Wiggen (2004), p. 174</ref>
Overview
Del Monte Kenya owns a 10,000-acre (40 km2) pineapple plantation<ref name="ExportingAfrica"/> and employs approximately 6,000 workers (2006 estimate).<ref name="Fox-Liebenthal"/> Approximately 60% of the workforce is female (2004 estimate).<ref name="Responsibility-2"/> The company employs three types of employees: permanent staff, seasonal workers and casual laborers.<ref name="Responsibility-5">Bomann-Larsen; Wiggen (2004), p. 166-167</ref> Permanent staff receive sick pay, holidays, rental assistance, severance pay and have a contract.<ref name="Responsibility-5"/> Seasonal workers earn less and do not receive severance pay, although they also have a contract.<ref name="Responsibility-5"/> Casual labourers receive no benefits and are not covered by a contract.<ref name="Responsibility-5"/> All compensation is aligned with Kenya's governmental laws that mandate a minimum wage of approximately KSh.2,800/= a month (2004 figures).<ref name="Responsibility-5"/> The company's pineapple plantations are patrolled by security guards on horseback that utilise dogs, or in Jeeps.<ref name="Responsibility-2"/>
Production
In 2011 the company's annual revenue was estimated at KSh.4.5 billion/= and its processing capacity was 1,500 tons of pineapples daily.Template:Citation needed Due to the company's existence and operations, the largest single manufactured export from Kenya is canned pineapple.<ref name="Fox-Liebenthal"/> Additionally, Kenya ranks among the top five pineapple exporters in the world due to the presence and operations of Cirio Del Monte Kenya.<ref name="Fox-Liebenthal"/> Their products are primarily exported to the European market.<ref name="ExportingAfrica"/> 34% of the company's production is juice concentrate, 22% is solid pineapple, 21% is mill juice sugar and 22% is cattle feed.<ref name="ExportingAfrica"/>
Controversy
The company experienced labour disputes that generated negative publicity and had received the attention of human rights groups.<ref name="Responsibility-2"/> A report in 1999 by Société Générale de Surveillance concluded that Del Monte did not allow workers freedom to join trade unions, and union workers were not allowed to communicate with employees.<ref name="Responsibility-3">Bomann-Larsen; Wiggen (2004), p. 162</ref> The report also found that the company routinely threatened shop stewards with termination.<ref name="Responsibility-2"/> Additional findings were that Del Monte did not have a safety plan in the event of an emergency, did not make first aid kits available to employees, did not provide ear protection to workers in high decibel environments and did not provide gas masks to employees using chemical sprays.<ref name="Responsibility-3"/>
In 1999, Centro Nuovo Modello di Sviluppo (CNMS), an Italian human rights group, began a campaign for consumers in Italy to boycott Del Monte pineapples after research conducted by the group found conditions at the company's factory to be inferior.<ref name="Responsibility-3"/> This campaign was backed by the Kenya Human Rights Commission, which stated that wages were not enough to meet basic needs, that living quarters and sanitation was "disgraceful," toxic pesticides deemed by the World Health Organization as "Extremely hazardous" and "Highly hazardous" were being used, and that the company was intimidating internal trade union leaders, among other concerns.<ref name="Responsibility-3"/> In the past, Del Monte Royal had asserted that no evidence had been existent to corroborate CNMS' claims of any illness, disease of fatalities resulting from unsafe conditions.<ref name="Responsibility-4">Bomann-Larsen; Wiggen (2004), p. 164</ref>
On 5 October 2000, the company was asked by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) to cease intimidation of trade unionists with Del Monte Kenya.<ref name="EAS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} Template:Subscription required</ref> KHRC also requested that Del Monte Kenya address matters regarding worker protection from chemicals, housing concerns and environmental pollution.<ref name="EAS"/>
In the book Responsibility in World Business: Managing Harmful Side-Effects of Corporate Activity, published in 2004, it was stated that "the hue and cry over human rights violations that rocked Del Monte Kenya is now over."<ref name="Responsibility-6"/>
The company has been at the center of an ongoing tussle with the local community in a land ownership row with the local community whose members claim the company's land as their rightful ancestral home.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In June 2023, British newspaper The Guardian reported that multiple killings occurred at Del Monte's pineapple farm in Kenya, where security guards allegedly murdered trespassers and showed general violence against locals. Multiple alleged thieves were beaten to death by the guards, and at least one of the thieves was found with his throat cut. Locals claim serious human rights violations and are seeking for compensation from the company. In response, Del Monte's customers, such as Tesco of the UK, suspended their orders of pineapples pending Del Monte's internal investigation of the matter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In August 2025 Michael Muiruri Murigi was killed by a pick-up truck on the farm and in the ensuing days "violent" protests erupted on the farm, leading to police killing a man identified as either Harrison Kibandi Marubu or Stephen Marubu. County police claimed the death happened after approximately 150 pineapple thieves “armed with machetes [and] stones” attacked officers and G4S guards.<ref name=":0" />
Company responses
In July 2001, the company signed an agreement to support the campaign for worker rights, and shop stewards stated that positive changes were occurring.<ref name="Responsibility-4"/> Additionally, in December 2001, the company started a tree-planting campaign in its neighborhood as part of a pledge to promote sustainable land use and environmental protection.<ref name="Responsibility-4"/>
Legal matters
On 22 October 2004, the company was ordered by a Kenyan court to compensate three of its prior employees who were exposed to toxic emissions there with almost KSh.5.5 million/=.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} Template:Subscription required</ref>
See also
References
Bibliography
- Bomann-Larsen, Lene; Wiggen, Oddny (2004) Responsibility in World Business: Managing Harmful Side-Effects of Corporate Activity. United Nations University Press. pages 160–174. Template:ISBN
Further reading
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