ProTerra Certifies Central Romana in Social Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability

On March 28, 2018, Central Romana Corporation certified its social responsibility and environmental sustainability practices with ProTerra.  This certification applies to the company’s operations for producing sugarcane and its by-products.
 
The ProTerra certificate states that Central Romana’s mill “has demonstrated its ability to implement, monitor and trace a responsible and sustainable production of agricultural commodities through all stages.”  
 
During the independent audit process, which lasted seven days, ProTerra visited every area of the company that was relevant to obtaining the certification.  This included visits to the sugar mill industrial zone, to Central Romana’s own sugarcane plantations and to the operations of sugarcane out-growers or external suppliers.  ProTerra also reviewed documentation, and interviewed employees in the workspace.
 
Through this audit, ProTerra ensured that Central Romana Corporation meets ProTerra standards, which include the absence of forced labor and child labor, compliance with working hours allowed by Dominican labor law, salaries that comply with minimum wage regulations and workers being free to organize and collectively bargain.
 
With respect to environmental issues, the audit reviews that Central Romana effectively manages biodiversity and natural vegetation; waste and pollution; water usage and resources; and greenhouse gases and energy.  It also reviews that Central Romana is not using GMOs, which are prohibited under the certification.
 
ProTerra’s certification, the second obtained by a company in the Dominican Sugar Industry, demonstrates Central Romana’s commitment to comply with environmental and labor laws, as well as both industry and international standards for corporate social responsibility.
 
Central Romana Corporation began its operations in the year 1912 in La Romana, in the Dominican Republic.  In more than one hundred years since its foundation, the company’s main activity has been focused on the production of sugar.  Over the past decades, the company has diversified its investments, which now include operations in livestock, free trade zones, construction and building materials, processing of meat and dairy products, healthcare, airport and cruise ship port operations, real estate and tourism.