Chadi Sassa
Ismail ait benali
Al Akhawayn University
Mary Grace Neville
Keep this story going! Share below!
Ain Ifrane is the first eco-friendly Agribusiness company in Morocco that values protecting the environment and employee well-being as key to running a successful business. Their employee centered practices include creating job opportunities for illiterate and unemployed people and coaching new employees before starting work.
Badr Errass is an agri-food engineer aiming to develop people in rural areas by offering job opportunities locally, training people to fill the opportunities, and simultaneously creating a product that ecologically uses natural resources.
He had the opportunity to work in many companies. However, he chose Ain Ifran, a water bottling company located in Bensmim, a poor rural area near Ifrane, Morocco. Unemployment was high, and natural resources were being abused. Badr actively looked for the community in which he wanted to develop people. He found exactly what he was looking for in Bensmim; most of the people living there are poor, illiterate, unskilled, and have limited or no access to technology. He is glad to involve these people in a new environment in order to explore, learn, evolve, and contribute to developing their small town.
AinIfrane became an innovative company. It hires unskilled workers from Bensmim, trains them, and shows them how to deal with problems during work. For instance, Badr tutors the employees how to use and configure machines properly in order to produce the desired size and number of the bottles and teaches them the necessary options to fix damaged machines.
In summary, the process guides new employees until they master their new jobs.
“It is not as easy as it seems,” explained Badr, “I used to control machines in the factory and fix them on my own for several weeks explaining each step to the employees.” Now his employees work on their own after their life circumstances have been improved. Badr now has time to develop the company itself rather than being so consumed by training new employees. In addition to creating jobs, the manager concerns himself with the well-being of each employee ensuring that each person has good health, housing, and reliable transportation. Workers are assured of a 5% average salary raise annually, more than the standards these workers had previously.
The second dimension of Badr’s innovation is his responsible use of the region’s natural resources in an extensive way in an unreliable environment. In the interview, he bravely stated: "We are here to do business, not to hurt the nature". All the production operations such as extraction, treatment, and supply are eco-friendly and ecological. For instance, the company uses solar energy to pump water from the source to the factory and to operate the machines. It also uses ventilators and electrical filters to minimize CO2 emission in the air. Bader commented many private organization in cities near Bensmim such as Ifrane and Azrou are inspired by this dimension of the innovation and started using solar panels and other eco-friendly equipment.
When Badr took the position as president of the company, he faced a huge problem. The people of Bensmim were against the idea of the factory being built in their town. They were illiterate and unskilled, and they did not understand that a company can contribute to the economic development of a country in a particular way. As a result, they argued in Ifrane’s province that the company would only do harm, “They are using our water to make money." Badr then scheduled a meeting with these people to clarify his objectives for the company and to talk deeply about the different dimensions of his innovation. After the meeting, people of Bensmim were aware of the advantages and benefits the company could bring to them and the community. Bensmim became glad to welcome the business.
Even if people of Bensmim were against building the factory, the company's manager was not aggressive and did not start operating until the local people were convinced it would benefit them and were satisfied that the outcomes were acceptable. "It is very important to perform plans wisely" claimed Badr; he is now managing the factory without being busy trying to solve old problems regarding the factory, solving them before starting operations is so inspiring and reflects the professionalism of this person. A single person convinced a whole village and became appreciated just by showing these people the right path through development and evolution. It is also inspiring to see a single person aiming to change a village by involving local people in a new environment of machinery and technology. Additionally, it is inspiring that Ain Ifrane started its business and succeeded in a region where the labor was not yet qualified for the jobs the business would be creating.
The manager's innovative behavior contributed to positive changes for his employees. Now they are more than comfortable with their jobs. As a result, they are working effectively and efficiently towards the company's objectives.
Ain Ifran Company is located in an ecological region surrounded by forest and wild animals. Therefore, the company's factory construction and maintenance choices have significant implications for the region's natural environment. Badr chose to preserve these natural resources by using solar panels, ecological ventilators and electrical lifters to minimize CO2 emission in the air. As a result, half of the total electricity required to run the factory's machines comes from the solar electricity generated at the factory itself.
An ecological company is an added value for Morocco. None of Ain Ifran's competitors are using any eco-friendly strategies, even the industry leader. For water bottling and distribution, the implications of choosing eco-friendly strategies preserve the region's forest, minimizes noise impact on the animal life, and reduces excess plastics and wastewater into the region.
Since the idea of eco-friendly manufacturing here started at Ain Ifran, the practices can now be applied by other companies in the same or other industries nationwide.
The Ifrane region is home to a clean and green environment representative of the heavenly beauty of the Middle Atlas mountains. With this special setting, nature produces the gift of good quality water, so it is important to preserve this eco-system. To overcome potential environmental harm, the factory is only bottling natural, light and balanced micro-nutrient water. In other words, there is very low CO2 emission. The plant is also equipped with the latest generation of technology to ensure perfect control of product quality while preserving the surrounding environment.
Concerning the social benefits, the majority of employees hired in this company are from Bensmim where few other job opportunities exist. In addition to jobs, the people benefit from a kind of development and facilities that increase their collective standard of living such health care, housing, reliable transportation and rise in salaries.
The performance of employees has improved, and they feel more conformable with their jobs. "The employees are working on their own; moreover, they are discovering some tips and options that I did not know about before,"said Badr confidently.
In fact, the entire region benefits from the social activities organized by AinIfran, such as Ramadan Iftar donations where food is distributed in Ifrane and Azrou to poor families.
The company also offers school supplies in the beginning of the academic year to the children of poor families, streets cleanness campaigns, forestation and cultural events to the public.
Get stories of positive business innovations from around the world delivered right to your inbox.
Badr Erass, Business, Human Development and Enviroment Protection
