Dinant Provides Business Training to Local Community & Garifuna Entrepreneurs
Coconut Oil Producers Acquire New Management & Financial Skills
An entrepreneur participates in Dinant’s business training session in Puerto Castilla.
Dinant partnered with the Honduran National Institute for Vocational Training (INFOP) to provide essential business training to members of the Puerto Castilla community in Trujillo, including Garifuna people, involved in coconut oil production. The initiative was designed to enhance the administrative and financial skills of independent producers, ensuring the long-term success and sustainable growth of their small businesses. A portion of the coconut oil produced in Puerto Castilla is used in Dinant’s new Mazola Coconut Oil product line, reinforcing the company’s commitment to sourcing high-quality, sustainably-grown ingredients from local communities wherever possible. Business Skills Training for Sustainable Growth Dinant facilitated the delivery of two critical courses: "Entrepreneur’s Business Plan" and "Small Business Administration." Conducted by INFOP, a Honduran governmental organization responsible for providing vocational and technical education to the country’s workforce, the training equipped 15 community members with vital business skills through a 30-hour course over 1.5 weeks. Roger Pineda, Director of Corporate Relations at Dinant, said: “We are proud to support the local coconut oil producers as they grow their business and continue to supply Dinant with a high quality product. These courses, focusing on entrepreneurship and administration, give producers the tools they need to thrive not only today but well into the future. It's part of Dinant’s larger commitment to supporting the communities we work with.” Key benefits of the training for the entrepreneurs included: - A clearer long-term vision and mission for their business - Improved financial planning for both personal and business needs - Strategies for reinvesting profits to foster business growth - Understanding of labor management and cost calculations, ensuring accurate profit margins Gender-Based Violence Prevention Training In addition, Dinant provided the Puerto Castilla community with training on the prevention of gender-based violence and harassment. This course reflects Dinant’s ongoing commitment to promoting a safe and respectful environment for all, both within its workforce and in the communities it supports. A more extensive session on this topic is planned for November for Puerto Castilla community members and all of Dinant’s operational sites throughout Honduras. This session will coincide with the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, reinforcing the company’s dedication to gender equality and social responsibility. Roger Pineda continued: “Our efforts in Puerto Castilla are not limited to business development. We recognize the importance of creating safe, supportive communities, and our work on violence prevention and women’s rights is just as critical to long-term social progress.” Dinant is a leading agribusiness and consumer packaged goods manufacturer in Central America and the Dominican Republic, committed to producing high-quality products while adhering to the highest standards of sustainability and corporate responsibility. Dinant’s products are sold across Central America and the Dominican Republic. It directly employs 7,860 people with over 24,000 dependents, while supporting over 20,000 contractors, vendors and suppliers.