TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Dec. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- It was announced today that - following significant investment, rigorous planning and extensive external auditing – Corporacion Dinant's operating facilities have been granted ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 status as a mark of their progress in environmental management and occupational health & safety.

In total, 12 out of Dinant's 14 operating sites – including all of Dinant's consumer manufacturing facilities, African Palm Oil plantations in Lean and Aguan Valleys, an extraction mill and greenhouses, as well as the Corporate headquarters – were each awarded the internationally acclaimed certifications.  In accordance with the program scheduled, the two remaining facilities –the Aguan Extraction Mill and a distribution center in San Pedro Sula - are due to be audited in mid December.

Dinant's operations were awarded ISO 14001 in recognition of their Environmental Management Systems, which will help us to further improve our resource efficiency, reduce waste, and drive down costs.  OHSAS 18001 was granted for each site's occupational health and safety management systems.

Roger Pineda, spokesman for Dinant, said, "The fact that both international certifications were awarded to 12 of our 14 facilities is testament to the significant investments that we have made as part of our Enhanced Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) under the guidance of the IFC.  I have every confidence that our two remaining sites will receive positive audits next month, making Dinant a benchmark in Honduras and the Central American region among modern, professionalized consumer marketing and agribusinesses. These two certifications are in addition to other significant strides achieved by Dinant, such as our community engagement program, grievance mechanism and implementation of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights."

About Corporacion Dinant

Corporacion Dinant is a family-owned consumer products manufacturer founded in Honduras in 1960 by Miguel Facusse.  Our products are sold throughout Central America and the Dominican Republic, and are exported to global markets.  Dinant employs 8,000 people, directly supports over 22,000 livelihoods, generates many millions of US dollars in exports for the Honduran economy, and contributes significantly to the economies of all communities and countries in which we operate.

As part of our adherence to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, Dinant has removed all firearms from the security men and women at all plantations and factories.  Dinant rigorously benchmarks it operations against the principles of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) regarding the economic, environmental and social impact of our African Palm oil business.  The company is modernizing its Community Engagement Program through such initiatives as stakeholder surveys, formal grievance mechanisms and placing social workings in local communities.

December 1, 2014 
CORPORATE RELATIONS DEPARTMENT 
Media contact: Roger Pineda, roger.pineda@dinant.com, +(504) 2239-8800

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SOURCE Corporacion Dinant