Delta Holding has spent a full three decades setting world-class business standards, which imply protection for the environment, but also investing in local communities, and has won numerous awards for its huge contribution in the domain of sustainable development and for its CSR activities
Considering that Serbia is traditionally an agricultural country and that it has good conditions for cultivating fruits and vegetables and developing livestock and dairy cattle breeding, Delta is planning to extend its “Our Village”project.
Delta Holding’s business implies an emphasis on concern for the natural environment. Is this something you do in order to comply with binding legal norms?
Delta Holding has, for 30 years already, been introducing innovations to the market and setting world-class standards of doing business, which also imply protecting the environment. We can state unequivocally that we respected environmental principles even before the adoption of legal provisions, and we always strive to ensure that our contribution to environmental protection exceeds legal norms.
Operating within the framework of Delta Holding is also the company Delta Pak. Can you tell us more about this enterprise?
Delta Pak provides services for operators dealing with the management of packaging waste and consultants in the fields of the environment, chemicals and the transport of dangerous goods. It performs these tasks for the members of Delta Holding, but also for external clients, and operates according to the principles of social responsibility and sustainable development, which are principles that it shares with its clients and business partners. Furthermore, in accordance with its mission, Delta Pak also implements a number of projects that aim to support the community in improving the area of the natural environment and raising environmental awareness.
We’ve renovated schools and improved social facilities and cultural contents in both of the villages near Zaječar that are included in the “Our Village” project
Your project “Naše selo” [Our Village] is unique not only in Serbia, but also further afield. What makes it specific, special and important?
We launched the “Our Village” project in 2018 with the goal of renewing villages in Serbia. The project includes 40 farmsteads from two villages in the vicinity of Zaječar, for which we’ve devised a development plan and organised numerous professional lectures and visits to Delta Agrar’s farms and estates. We’ve also secured loans from Erste Bank for investment, on which Delta Agrar is paying interest, while support has also been provided to young parents, with the Delta Foundation providing a donation of 100,000 dinars for newborn children and Erste Bank opening savings accounts with an initial deposited amount of 250 euros. We’ve renovated schools and improved social facilities and cultural contents in both villages. This project is very important because it has the long-term goal of elevating Serbian villages to the level of modern European villages and prompting the repatriation of inhabitants who’ve emigrated. That’s why we plan for the extension of the project to include more villages.
Do you think the development of agriculture and the renewal of villages could contribute to accelerating Serbia’s economic growth?
I’m certain that the development of agriculture and the renewal of villages would contribute to the faster development of our country. Serbia is traditionally an agricultural country and that it has goodconditionsforcultivatingfruitsandvegetables and developing livestock and dairy cattle breeding.
With the transferring of modern knowhow, we ensure that small producers achieve products of export quality and generate higher earnings for themselves and their families, which also benefits the residents of villages and the state of Serbia.
Delta Holding has received a large number of awards for its contributions in the area of sustainable development and for its CSR activities. Which of those awards make you particularly proud?
All the awards that we’ve won are important to us and represent great recognition for our contribution to the sustainable development of communities. Among the awards that are dearest to me are the three consecutive SAM [Serbian Association of Managers] awards for socially responsible company of the year, the Virtus Award for contributions at the national level, as well as the national award of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce & Industry for socially responsible operations.
Photo: Miodora Bozar