Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
January 30, 2008
The
HeinzSeed program will
receive the Corporate Council Award from
Harvard Medical School’s
Center for Health and the Global Environment during a gala
celebration on Sunday, Feb. 3, in New York City. Through the
HeinzSeed program, H. J. Heinz Company promotes sustainable
agriculture in developing nations.
“We are impressed with the HeinzSeed Program’s contribution to
sustainable agriculture,” said Eric Chivian, MD, director of the
Center for Health and the Global Environment, and a 1985
co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. “The program is proof
that the pursuit of profit does not have to be at odds with
social responsibility. Rather, when done right, it can produce
beneficial results for all of society.”
The goal of HeinzSeed is to help farmers improve their quality
of life while reducing the negative environmental impact of
over-reliance on chemical pesticides and fertilizers and
conserving limited water resources. Created using traditional
breeding techniques, Heinz seeds allow farmers around the world
to produce high yields of quality tomatoes without genetic
modification.
The program has been particularly successful in China, where
Heinz has worked with the country’s largest tomato processor and
government officials to identify tomato varieties that thrive in
China's soil and climate. Heinz has taken a similar approach in
Egypt and the Ukraine. The Company has recently begun a
partnership with the United States Agency for International
Development for a program in the economically distressed Upper
Nile region of Egypt. Heinz is now working with a local NGO who
is organizing Egyptian farmers into cooperatives to achieve
economically successful and sustainable production of tomatoes
for processing.
“We are honored that the HeinzSeed Program is being recognized
by Harvard Medical School’s Center for Health and the Global
Environment,” said Bill Johnson, Chairman, President and CEO of
the H. J. Heinz Company. “Heinz believes that by sharing our
unparalleled seed technology and introducing sustainable farming
techniques to developing nations we will make a positive
economic and environmental impact.”
H. J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ), offering “Good Food Every
Day” is one of the world’s leading marketers and producers of
healthy and convenient foods specializing in ketchup, sauces,
meals, soups, snacks and infant nutrition. Heinz provides
superior quality, taste and nutrition for all eating occasions
whether in the home, restaurants, the office or “on-the-go.”
Heinz is a global family of leading branded products, including
Heinz® ketchup, sauces, soups, beans, pasta and infant foods
(representing over one third of Heinz’s total sales), Ore-Ida®
potato products, Weight Watchers® Smart Ones® entrees, Boston
Market® meals, T.G.I. Friday’s® snacks, and Plasmon infant
nutrition. Heinz is famous for its iconic brands on five
continents, showcased by Heinz® ketchup, The World’s Favorite
Ketchup®. Information on Heinz is available at
www.heinz.com.
The mission of the Center For Health and the Global Environment
at Harvard Medical School is to help people understand that our
health, and that of our children, depends on the health of the
environment, and that we must do everything we can to protect
it. To fulfill this mission, the Center carries out a number of
programs addressing climate change, the loss of biodiversity,
sustainable agriculture, and the oceans for a range of audiences
including the medical community, policy-makers, business
leaders, the media and the general public. |
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