UK prepared fruit supplier Blue Skies, which has packhouses in Ghana, Egypt, South Africa and Brazil, supplying some of the biggest supermarket chains in the UK, Europe and South Africa, has received a First Award for Responsible Capitalism.
Presented this year by Lord Woolf and supported by the UK's foreign secretary, William Hague, at a ceremony at Lancaster House, London, the award honours business leaders who have excelled in both commercial success and social responsibility.
Blue Skies was recognised for its Joint Effort Enterprise (JEE) model, which espouses the idea that a successful business in Africa works best if it is inclusive and believes in social equality as well as profitability.
Upon receiving the award, founder and chairman Anthony Pile said: 'We are very grateful to be acknowledged for our work in Africa. It is wonderful to produce a product that is regarded as the best, which earns us a fair profit and which translates into an opportunity for hope for many Africans who have a long way to go before they catch up with the living standards we enjoy in the West.'
