GBarbosa Social Responsibility

GBarbosa began its corporate social responsibility work with the creation of the Instituto Gbarbosa (IGB) in October, 2005. The IGB is the social investment agent in the supermarkets network and its mission is to "improve the quality of life of the communities that receive help from GBarbosa, through initiatives, activities, support and solidarity networks that favor social inclusion and sustainable development in different areas such as Health, Education, the Environment and Culture".


1.- Relationships with the Community
The Small producer, Big entrepreneur Project
 The Small producer, Big entrepreneur Project intends to train farmers dedicated to the growth of foliage in rural communities of Itabaiana. Since April, 2007, IGB has benefited about 30 rural producers along with the Department of Agronomy at Universidad Federal de Sergipe, as well as the State Department of Agronomy.

With this project, the IGB hopes these farmers will attain a better quality of life in three years time through the increase of quality and productivity.

Producto Solidario (Solidary Product)
 The brand Producto Solidario was created in order to increase product sale s originated by small communities in the branches of the GBarbosa chain.

This initiative involves collaborating with small entrepreneurs through the commercialization of their products. Goods are not bought from intermediaries so the producer gets more profit. The supermarket is in charge of highlighting the products on their shelves so the customers will know they are helping such communities.

Solidarity Movement
 Solidarity Movement involves bringing together public entities, private businesses, NGOs and GBarbosa suppliers in one day to help underprivileged communities. In 2007 Solidarity Movement attended to more than thirty thousand people in Alagoas, Bahia and Sergipe, offering free health, citizenship and leisure time services by providing identification cards, birth certificates, work portfolios, professional workshops, cinema sessions, recreational activities and more.

Store and Community
 IGB makes the most of national holidays such as Easter, Children's Day and Christmas to use its Store and Community project. The manager, along with volunteers from different stores, goes into the community and supports social institutions in carrying out their festivities. In 2007 more than two thousand children and elderly people in Sergipe benefited from the project.

2.- Education
Wake Up & Learn
 Since 2006, IGB has been developing the project Wake Up & Learn, through which it provides six-month training courses for people with handicaps, particularly with hearing problems. The courses are aimed at young people over the age of eighteen who have problems entering the job market.

The course, which in 2007 trained twenty three participants from Aracaju, is considered an excellent social inclusion project as it transforms handicapped youths into professionals, able to work and compete for jobs. To date, 70% of the students have been directed to the labor market.

Citizen Literacy
 For ten months in 2007, IGB ran eleven literacy courses for two hundred and twenty adolescents and adults in the areas surrounding GBarbosa stores in Sergipe. IGB recruited students, obtained classrooms with local institutions and provided all the educational material. SESC (Social Service of Commerce) contracted the teachers and gave pedagogical support. In 2008 another thirteen courses started around the stores.

3.- Corporative Volunteering
People willing to volunteeer
 IGB believes in volunteer work as a means for social transformation and thus created the Volunteering People project. The volunteer service is stimulated by the possibility of involving collaborators in social work through IGB projects and externally through the Volunteering People Awards (Premio Gente Voluntaria) which recognizes the efforts of volunteers.

4.- The Environment
Recycling Program
 Environmental concern is part of GBarbosa's corporate social responsibility policy, for this reason the institute has been developing its Recycling Program since January 2007. The initiative started with placing a pilot recycling point in the Stella Maris hypermarket in Maceió and due to positive results a second was placed in the Costa Azul hypermarket in Salvador six months later.

The program emerged due to the need to help preserve the environment and make a social contribution to the communities where GBarbosa works. By directing trash to cooperatives, the beneficiaries can increase profits and improve their quality of life.

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