Just like you, McCormick Flavor Solutions is committed to doing what’s right for people, communities where we live, work, and source, and the planet we all share. The McCormick Women’s Empowerment Framework (M-WEF) was designed with support from CARE International, one of the largest and oldest humanitarian aid organizations, to identify the greatest risks to equality within farming communities, enabling our team and partners to design programs that create a positive impact on women’s level of empowerment. We know that empowering women has a much broader impact on community resiliency, and the M-WEF is a core component of our strategy to increase resiliency of 90% of farmers growing our top five iconic raw materials (black pepper, cinnamon, red pepper, oregano and vanilla).
In cinnamon-growing communities on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, we identified multiple opportunities for women, including increasing their involvement in farm decision making, improving access to financial services, and building resilience to future shocks, such as natural disasters or pandemics. Through our on-the-ground partner, we provided training for local women in topics such as financial management, bookkeeping, and business development. A number of the most dedicated participants, including Karoliana Pebrian, were then supported in creating their own cinnamon nursery businesses.
