Environmentally friendly crop protection products Wageningen University and Research (WUR) is known worldwide as a centre of excellence on the subject of agricultural research, and is an incubator of high-tech companies in this field. Ceradis B.V. is one of these young companies, that holds the rights for the production and marketing of two environmentally friendly fungicides, Ceraquint and Ceralim, both of them with their origin at WUR's research. The basic difference, and competitive advantage of these products, is a significantly lower content of active metal, resulting in a much lower negative impact on the environment. Through revolutionary (patented) formulations, which enhance the plants natural defences against plagues, the efficacy of both fungicides is equivalent to the conventional "high metal content" products. Ceradis has finished the technical development of the products, and is currently involved with the time-consuming and very costly, registration procedures.In Colombia there is a large potential market for the new fungicides and, more importantly, the registration procedures are simpler and faster. Actually, Ceradis expects to have a final approval and registration for both products there, by August 2011. Therefore, they decided to set up a formalised cooperation with Eva van Harmani LTDA, for the production of the new products in Bogotá.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)CSR will be anchored in the joint venture through the ISO 9001 certification, which encompasses quality standards but also environmentally friendly production. The quality protocols and the training/instruction for the production processes include workplace health and safety measures, environmental protection and the installation of related equipment.Key elements of the company's CSR policy will be: employment standards, workplace health and safety, gender policy, employee participation, chain responsibility and environmental management.Child labour is unquestionably excluded from any part of the projects' scope and will be dissuaded as far down the chain as possible.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsThe project will create 6 direct full-time jobs (all at medium- to high-level). This will increase to 10 FTE in two years.The lowest wages paid for permanent staff will be at least 20% above the legal minimum, in line with the requirements of the job, as even production workers have responsibilities and are trained to at least medium-level. All staff will enjoy complete social benefits according to Colombian legislation, an additional free lunch, and the possibility/incentive to engage in further education (within working hours).•	Innovation/Transfer of knowledgeThe knowledge associated to the production and utilisation of the new low-copper-content fungicides is completely new for Colombia. The staff will therefore be trained to achieve at least basic knowledge of the scientific principle and background of the Ceradis products and a complete understanding of the production process in its different stages. This includes quality control at all stages, measurement, sampling and testing of inputs and outputs as dictated by the quality protocols. Training will also include safety precaution measures, do's and don'ts, measures to be taken in case of machine failure and disaster and other security issues.•	Chain effectsThe chain effects of the project will be limited. The additional sales are not significant for multinational distributors, and very few extra jobs will be created in the supply chain.•	EnvironmentThe production facility for the joint venture will follow the rigorous guidelines that are already currently in place for EVH, including recycling of all process water, and therefore has virtually no impact on the environment.The substitution of high Copper-content fungicides by the new Ceralim and Ceraquint however, will have a very positive effect on the environment.•	Position of womenCurrently, four of the six EVH employees are women of which two at higher levels including the director herself and two at the basic-level. Within the project a similar high share of female employees will be aimed at all times and levels. As a minimum, two of the five new employees will be women one of whom in a medium-level position. To set up a production facility for environmentally friendly fungicides.