Today I’m joined by Eugene Kraamwinkel, CEO of two agribusinesses in Cambodia – Phu Rieng Kratie Ampivath and Dau Tu Saigon Binh Phuoc. In our conversation, Eugene highlights the importance of having a strong Code of Conduct to ensure a long-term sustainable forest business, especially in emerging markets and industries such as forestry and agriculture. We discuss how investors can evaluate business integrity risks and red flags to watch for. Eugene shares a roadmap on how forest business owners can make stepwise improvements toward changing the culture around moral conduct. Eugene also emphasizes that ethical business is not just about committing to transparency and anti-corruption but also about environmental and social ethics.
It is a long-term investment, and it is going to give you sustainability, and it won’t be sustainable if you want to do it over a short-term period. While forestry investments can be profitable it requires patience, deep commitment to responsible management, and investors need to prioritize opportunities that will align with strong environmental, social, and governance principles to ensure business operates transparently, ethically, and sustainably.
LinkedIn: Eugene Kraamwinkel
Favorite tree: South African yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius)
Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink
Producer and editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives
02:32
Eugene’s background & drive for ethical business practices
4:59
Why is business integrity important in forestry and agribusiness?
07:57
Make investors more confident in emerging markets with ethical business conduct risk
11:44
Examples of government initiatives to bring about change
15:11
Starting point for ethical business conduct
20:14
How can investors be confident that code of conduct will ensure ethical operations in practice
25:47
Example of shift in from unethical to ethical
27:25
Red flags for investors
Link between ethics and climate change and sustainability impact
33:44
Actionable advice
Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud
Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud
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