Your Greatest Asset Isn’t Your Product, It Is Your People

In Kenya’s fruit export sector, where labor conditions are often contested, Del Monte Kenya offers a study in contrasts. Recent developments suggest that the company is making measurable progress in redefining worker welfare, not just as a matter of compliance, but as a strategic imperative.

Del Monte Kenya maintains a standing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Kenya Plantation & Agricultural Workers’ Union. The current CBA (2023–2025) is under renegotiation, following a consistent two-year rhythm of formal engagement.

This agreement encompasses key provisions, including working hours, protective gear, grievance mechanisms, wages, and disciplinary procedures. More importantly, it appears to be a living document rather than a bureaucratic formality.

Workers report that salary delays are non-existent, and that both management and the union take the terms seriously, signaling a culture of accountability and respect for institutional labor relations.

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On women’s welfare, the company has shown tangible progress. Del Monte Kenya signed a commitment with UNF (United Nations Foundation) to support the women empowerment health program and empower 10,000 women on the following pillars:

• Menstrual Health
• Contraceptives
• Reproductive health and cancers
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Gender-based Violence

Lactation stations are available around the workplace, and lactation breaks are provided to allow mothers time to breastfeed or express milk. Additionally, maternity leave — fully paid for three months — is a formalized benefit. Such measures not only enhance women’s productivity but also affirm the company’s commitment to gender sensitivity and empowerment.

Del Monte Kenya has also reformed its health, safety, and security structures. Six health clinics now operate across its farms, serving both employees and the surrounding communities. Safety protocols have been reinforced through the provision of personal protective equipment and hygiene measures.

Del Monte’s welfare initiatives extend well beyond the factory gates. The company provides on-site housing and is upgrading its single-room units into spacious two- and three-bedroom homes surrounded by green gardens and communal spaces. Its commitment to dignified living is further reflected in investments in schools—from nursery to secondary level—clinics, roads, and recreational areas that serve both employees and neighboring communities. Regular medical camps and outreach programs reinforce Del Monte’s belief that employee welfare and community well-being are inseparable.

Institutionally, Del Monte Kenya has formalized grievance mechanisms and strengthened welfare management. New roles such as welfare, diversity, and human rights managers have been introduced to handle issues like workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, gender-based violence, and broader employee welfare. This professionalization of welfare oversight reflects a maturing corporate culture that treats human rights as an operational priority rather than a public relations add-on.

Yet, Del Monte Kenya’s journey offers broader lessons for agribusiness. It demonstrates that welfare is not a cost but an investment, one that pays dividends through loyalty, productivity, reduced attrition, and enhanced corporate reputation. It shows that formal structures such as CBAs, grievance mechanisms, and human rights assessments create accountability frameworks that can outlast management changes or market pressures. It also reinforces that gender sensitivity is not optional in agribusiness, where women form a significant part of the workforce and face unique social and health challenges. Furthermore, the company’s integration of community welfare, through infrastructure, schools, and clinics, underscores that strong businesses thrive best within strong communities.

For Kenya, where agribusiness remains a key driver of employment, exports, and rural development, Del Monte Kenya’s evolving model provides both inspiration in what is possible when welfare is taken seriously.

If stakeholders, including government, unions, civil society, and corporate leaders, can sustain and elevate these standards, the ripple effects could be transformational: stronger livelihoods, deeper respect for human rights, and a more resilient agribusiness ecosystem for Kenya’s future.

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