Beef slaugtherhouse There is no local producer of high quality beef meat in Madagascar. Local beef mostly comes from slaughterhouse located the capital Antananarivo where zebus which have travelled for hundreds of kilometres are processed. These zebus come from the South, where about 55% of the livestock is located in a relatively small area. Over there, there are hardly any slaughterhouse facilities, just some very small killing areas or killing slabs. All the so-called local slaughterhouses in the country (including those in the capital) are very primitive and in no way comparable to slaughterhouses in accordance with international norms of hygiene or animal welfare. As a result of these practices, meat from zebus from the region is currently more expensive than in the rest of the country, as zebus are migrated all the way to Antananarivo for slaughtering (losing a lot of weight in the process, and many being stolen), and the meat is then carried to Tamatave on trucks and finally shipped back to Fort Dauphin. Price for zebus doubles from Fort Dauphin to Antananarivo while weight diminishes, and the need for transport adds an extra cost affecting the final price. As a result, meat in Fort Dauphin is much more expensive than elsewhere, which is paradoxical given that the cattle comes from the Fort Dauphin region.The applicant HighWay Properties Ltd from Mauritius and the local partner SMTP will set up a state-of-the-art slaughter line with a production capacity of 7 zebus per hour (50 per day). The slaughterhouse will be constructed according to ISO 22000:2005 and follow as much as possible the HACCP standards and guidelines. It will include a deboning laboratory, a water treatment system, a medical emergency room, a veterinary unit and a professional butchery school. This slaughterhouse will be the first modern slaughterhouse in Madagascar as only traditional home slaughtering exists in Madagascar. This will require that the partners set up new industrial standards and a modern organisational system that are non-existent in the country. Such a system requires the strict implementation of new procedures in the fields of safety, environment, human resource management and hygiene.The project will be the first slaughterhouse with a professional butchery school, to teach yearly up to 130 employees and residents of Fort Dauphin the necessary skills to become butchers.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)The raw material for the slaughter house will be zebus, supplied by local breeders. Apart from that, feedstock will be needed for the feed lots. The project partner will try to meet high level animal welfare standards: partners will give the selected breeders guidelines on how to vaccinate and care for their livestock. Cattle will be handled quietly. The zebus will then be fed in modern controlled facilities and will be treated according to European guidelines. These relate to the number of zebus kept per surface area, their life cycle, the use of medical products, light duration and intensity, the amount and quality of litter, feed and drinking water and climatic conditions including temperature, humidity, dust and stress related factors. The project will only use approved medications in feed or drinking water to treat and prevent disease outbreaks.Once at the slaughterhouse, the killing of the cattle should be in order of arrival. The abattoir will have on hand sufficient feeding equipment and feed. The slaughterhouse will have a trained animal welfare responsible staff member, who will monitor compliance with animal welfare requirements during unloading; in the slaughterhouse and when stunning animals. The animal welfare responsible will have completed specialist training.Child labour is another important risk in such a sector. To mitigate this risk, the joint venture will support campaigns emphasising on the negative impacts of child labour and educate the breeders on the importance of children’s education.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsThe joint venture will pay a remuneration which will be at least 133% of living wages (approximately € 60 per month). Overtime will be voluntarily, no longer than 12 hours and will be paid at a premium rate. Working hours (40 hours per week) will respect applicable local law. Forced or child labour will not be tolerated, nor will the joint venture work with suppliers or sub-contractors that do.Employees will be incited to voice their ideas and suggestions on how to improve the company’s efficiency. Employees will also benefit from fringe benefits such as lunches, transportation allowances and loans for employees and children tuition fees.All employees will receive a social security package for their retirement, and will also be affiliated with the Organisation Sanitaire Inter Enterprise (OSTIE) which is an organisational branch that provides assistance in case of sickness, occupational accidents, pregnancies, etc.Training elements are environmental training, training on health, safety and hygiene and HIV/AIDS training.All employees will receive training on the job. Transfer of knowledge is an essential aspect of this project.•	Innovation / Transfer of knowledgeThe slaughterhouse will be constructed according to ISO 22000:2005 and follow as much as possible the HACCP standards and guidelines, unique in Madagascar. It will include a deboning laboratory, a water treatment system, a medical emergency room, a veterinary unit and a professional butchery school. Feed lots will be used to feed and monitor cattle prior to slaughtering, which improves the quality of the meat. The creation of a professional butchery school is another innovative aspect, as there are no such schools in the country. A professional and modern logistical organisation will be set up; this is critical for every industrial unit, but even more when dealing with meat products. Last but not least, the project will also innovate in its marketing approach, as the partners will set up a traceability system for the whole production chain.•	Chain effectsImpact on local suppliersThere are several type of companies that will indirectly benefit from the project. First of all, maize growers will supply maize to feed the cattle at the unit's feed pen. It is estimated that the project will need 540 ha of maize to be farmed per year. This means that at least 54 maize farmers will be affected, increasing their revenues by over € 1,560 per year, which is almost five times the local minimum salary.In addition, it is estimated that a total of at least 20 local suppliers will benefit from this project involving expenditures of about € 550,800 per year. (These suppliers include e.g. suppliers of vaccines and veterinary products, companies providing packaging materials, food suppliers, etc).Impact on local customers or consumersEnd users will benefit greatly from the project: a range of excellent quality food will be available on the local market.•	Impact on the sectorThe partners will set the example for other companies to replicate an integrated zebu project similar to this one or to set up a similar project for a different type of meat.•	EnvironmentThis project has a positive impact on the environment. The project will make use of modern low energy consuming production equipment from renowned suppliers. A water treatment system will be installed within the slaughterhouse to avoid contamination of surface or groundwater. A rendering plant will be set up to transform waste into pig and fish feed. In addition, an incinerator will be installed to destroy rejected material. The refrigeration areas will be very well isolated to optimise energy use. Also, the feedlots will produce waste in the form of manure, which is a perfect organic fertiliser, which will be sold/provided for free to farmers.•	Position of womenAbout 26 women will be employed which is almost 50% of the employees. All of them will have medium-or high-level jobs.•	Impact on government/society levelImpact on government levelThe project will contribute to the policies of the government. As stated by the Minister of Livestock, the project will have a positive impact on the livestock industry in Madagascar, especially in the poorer South. It is expected to encourage breeders to tag their cattle, vaccinate them, and trade them.Impact on society levelThe partners will sponsor activities in the field of health care, education, sports, culture etc as part of their CSR policy, on top of the professional butchery school and other CSR projects such as the crafting of buttons and jewellery out of zebu horns.•	Impact on food safetyThe project will positively contribute to the issue of food security in Madagascar. The project’s end product will be protein-rich zebu meat that will be sold on the local market. In a country in which malnutrition is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in children under five, investments in the food industry, including in the safe supply of affordable good quality nutritious zebu cuts are indispensable to food security.•	Impact on waterA water treatment system will be installed within the slaughterhouse to avoid contamination of surface or groundwater.•	Impact on the local shareholders' positionThe project will have a big impact on the local partner which would like to increase its share in the food sector of Madagascar. The new approach will bring additional knowledge on e.g. certification and will enforce the position of the company in Madagascar. A state-of-the-art slaughterhouse with a production capacity of 50 pieces of cattle per day will be constructed in the Fort Dauphine region according to ISO 22000:2005 and following as much as possible the HACCP standards and guidelines. It will include a