Piloting a processing plant for animal blood into blood and haemoglobin powder, and beef bile into bile paste The applicant Sera-Scandia A/S and the local partner Dimex S.A. are going to set-up a joint venture. This joint venture will realise the establishment of a processing plant in which animal blood can be converted into blood and haemoglobin powder, and beef bile into beef paste in Managua. For this activity raw material will partly be sourced from Protena S.A., a daughter company of Sera-Scandia A/S in Nicaragua that processes animal blood into frozen plasma and plasma powder for human consumption. The new joint venture will process the affluent industrial water from Protena S.A. into haemoglobin and blood powder. This makes it easier for Protena S.A. to discard its waste water in a responsible manner and also opens up the possibility for the joint venture to earn carbon credits based on the treatment of animal blood. The other part of the raw material will be sourced from bigger as well as smaller local abattoirs in Nicaragua. These abattoirs are now discarding their blood and bile as waste material which is highly polluting. During the project duration, the joint venture will sign contracts with at least five bigger and two smaller abattoirs that will deliver their blood to the joint venture. For this blood, the joint venture will pay a symbolic price and, more importantly, train the abattoirs in the use of a more animal friendly slaughter method using the hollow knife which increases worker safety and meat quality. However, the main advantage of this project is that it offers an alternative for highly polluting practices that are common in Nicaragua at this moment.The products that will be produced by the joint venture are commodities that are not yet being produced in Central America. The project partners want to start up their activities here since the area is free of hoof-and-mouth disease and export is permitted to almost all countries throughout the world.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)The joint venture will develop explicit CSR policies with regard to social standards, safety, environmental issues, certification of production processes and policies regarding salaries and fringe benefits. A policy concerning workplace health and safety will be developed and implemented. At the end of the project, the joint venture will be HACCP certified and working according to the ISO 22000 certification scheme.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsBy the end of the project there will be 41 full-time employees, of which 7 are medium-/high-level employees. Two years after the project has been completed there will be approximately 63 full-time employees, of which 8 are medium-/high-level employees. Salaries will be at least 40% above the minimum wage and employees will receive a range of fringe benefits, such as health insurance, 6 months maternity leave, an internal and external education programme and they will be offered the possibility to buy a bike at a fair price.•	Innovation / Transfer of knowledgeEmployees of the joint venture will acquire knowledge about processing of the raw materials into haemoglobin and blood powder and bile paste. For this, they will have to follow an intensive training programme on subjects as machinery operation, hygiene, workplace safety and social responsibility.Furthermore, knowledge about animal ethics will be transferred to abattoirs. Also, they will be trained by the joint venture in a more animal friendly slaughter method using the hollow knife - which also increases worker safety.•	Chain effectsTraining abattoirs in a more efficient slaughter method and buying their haemoglobin, blood and bile, benefits multiple stakeholders. First of all, the abattoirs will be able to discard their waste products in a responsible manner. At this moment, abattoirs have no other choice than to illegally dump their waste as the responsible ways to discard it are too expensive. Working together with the joint venture takes away the risk of being closed down by the government, what would also have a big negative impact on local farmers. Additionally, the new technique will improve meat quality and shelf life. This opens up new opportunities for retailers.•	EnvironmentThis project will have a positive effect on the environment in the sense that it uses waste and turns it into something valuable. Blood is now discarded by abattoirs as waste water, which amongst others contaminates drinking water. By buying the blood from the abattoirs, this practice will be diminished. Collecting bile also reduces the current high degree of contamination. Additionally, the activity of the joint venture will help decrease the emission of greenhouse gases by treating industrial water in anaerobic lagoons.•	Position of womenAll job positions within the joint venture will be equally open for men and women. It is estimated that at least 50% of the employees will be female. The establishment of a processing plant in which animal blood can be converted into blood and haemoglobin powder, and beef bile into beef paste.