SAP and PlaNet Finance Hit Critical Milestones for Social Sustainability in Ghana Shea Value Chain Initiative

WALLDORF, Germany, Dec. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Using education, microfinance and information technology, SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) and PlaNet Finance joined forces last year to help improve the incomes and living conditions for rural Ghanaian women engaged in the shea nut harvesting and shea butter business. Results from a recent Stanford University case study that monitored program performance to date found that many of the program targets set for this year have been met. Additionally, the shea nut program has been bolstered by the participation of Olam International, a global supply chain leader of agricultural products and food ingredients that picked up the first batch of nuts in November. Under terms of an agreement, Olam will become a major buyer of the shea nuts in Ghana to meet its mandate of sourcing high-quality and sustainably sourced foods.

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"There is an increased demand in the global markets for reliably high-quality products and, at the same time, a request for traceability along the entire supply chain," said Mritunjay Das, manager, Nuts, Olam Ghana. "We have begun picking up the first nuts directly from the women, and are very pleased that we can achieve both market requirements through this initiative."

The Stanford University case study, titled "The Shea Value Chain Reinforcement Initiative, by SAP, PlaNet Finance, Grameen Ghana and Maata-N-Tudu" [PDF], found that the program successfully organized 1,500 women — the first half of the 3,000 targeted — into groups and a registered network, and then trained them on business skills, quality shea nut and butter processing. The case study also unveiled an increase of the women's income through their shea nut activities between 59 percent and 82 percent. Perhaps most important, "intermediate outcomes," extending beyond near-term goals mentioned above, include:

• Production of significantly improved quality of nuts and butter
• A stronger sense of belonging to a unit, with the ability to serve the market effectively
• Utilization of group savings accounts, which have helped the women pay for one-time expenses such as weddings, funerals and other events
• Learning business management practices that can be applied to other income-generating activities, such as farming

Microfinancing has proven to be an effective tool to break out of extreme poverty. Maata-N-Tudu and Grameen Ghana are microfinance institutions that serve as local partners to facilitate key program activities in the field.

"Together we have identified microloan products that will allow the women to build up sustainable business models using best-practices and equipment," explained Ivana Damjanov, deputy director of Operations at PlaNet Finance.

Software as an Enabler of Socially Sustainable Value Chains

SAP has contributed with its core expertise to support the shea nut program. "Rural market connection" is a software package used to manage and process orders and allow buyers to interact directly with rural women while creating increased traceability and transparency along the value chain. The software is in use by the partner microfinance institutions. Additionally, the women will receive information from the system directly to their cell phones via SMS. "Microloan management" is a software package developed after PlaNet Finance indentified a need for microfinance organizations to have more timely information about their loan portfolios. The software has been installed in partner microfinance institutions and is being piloted by rural loan officers with promising results.

SAP has also developed www.starshea.com for the Star Shea network, the newly created national organization of women who participate in the program, so that buyers can now view products and get in touch with the network online.

"SAP's purpose is to make the world run better — this requires not only technology innovation but also social innovation," said Peter Graf, chief sustainability officer and executive vice president of Sustainability Solutions, SAP AG. "The positive results from the Stanford University case study underscore the power of education, microfinance and IT to create economic opportunities for the underserved. We are committed to the sustainability of this program to help ensure long-lasting improvements in the lives of the participating women of Ghana."

The shea nut program was recently awarded "best corporate responsibility project" by sustainable business advisory Greenbang in its "2010 Greenbang Awards," which recognize forward-thinking, innovative businesses that are helping to create a sustainable business future. The collaboration between SAP and PlaNet Finance is part of SAP's long-term commitment to sustainability. For more information, visit the Sustainability at SAP section of sap.com.

About PlaNet Finance

PlaNet Finance is an international non-profit organization with the mission to alleviate poverty through the development of microfinance, therefore increasing the unbanked and underbanked's access to financial services. Based in Paris, PlaNet Finance's international network holds activities in close to 80 countries around the world.

www.planetfinancegroup.org

About Olam

Olam International is a leading global integrated supply chain manager and processor of agricultural products and food ingredients, sourcing 20 products with a direct presence in 64 countries and supplying them to over 11,100 customers. With direct sourcing and processing in most major producing countries for its various products, Olam has built a global leadership position in many of its businesses, including cocoa, coffee, cashew, sesame, rice, cotton and wood products.

www.olamonline.com

About SAP

SAP is the world's leading provider of business software(*), offering applications and services that enable companies of all sizes and in more than 25 industries to become best-run businesses. With more than 105,000 customers in over 120 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE, under the symbol "SAP." For more information, visit www.sap.com.

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning, business intelligence, and related applications.

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SOURCE SAP AG

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