The HORSCH Foundation
With innovative products HORSCH already contributes to soil-conserving farming and thus, to a healthy world and environment. But we do not stop there. As a successful company we are also responsible to support social commitment on site and to contribute to overcome poverty.
In this respect, we rely on an entrepreneurial approach as we are convinced that investments in economic projects can contribute considerably to sustainably fight poverty. For this purpose, in 2006, the HORSCH Foundation was founded under the auspices of the Horsch family. By now, the HORSCH Foundation co-operates with approx. 70 international and more than 60 national projects. We attach major importance to a regular exchange and to continuity with regard to the co-operation.
International co-operation
The largest partner of the HORSCH Foundation with regard to international co-operation is the Mennonite Economic Development Associates MEDA. This Christian mennonite organisation was founded by entrepreneurs und its objective is to fight material poverty with economic development. Meanwhile, MEDA supports more than 7,000 small businesses all over the world so that more than 200,000 people can benefit directly or indirectly from the MEDA programs.
Benedicta Boyuo, too, benefits from the co-operation with MEDA: the Ghanaian is not only a farmer and an owner of a tree nursery. She also markets her products herself, among others to the local school meal program. Moreover, she trains other women and campaigns for a further mechanisation in agriculture by renting tractors. Benedicta Boyuo’s work allows the neighbouring farms to improve their training and thus also the cultivation quality. And it allows to co-finance her daughter’s training as a nurse.
Since the outbreak of the war in the Ukraine the HORSCH Foundation together with the HORSCH site in the Ukraine has been organising quick help: already a few days after the outbreak of the war a truck with aid supplies was sent from Schwandorf to the Ukraine. Other aid supplies as well as various other campaigns for further support were to follow – always connected with the wish for permanent peace.
National projects
In Germany, too, the HORSCH Foundation supports numerous projects, e.g. at community level, but also with regard to the co-operation with universities and the support of students. HORSCH attaches major importance to a commitment on site at the sites in Schwandorf, Ronneburg and Landau. For example by the initiative Integration SAD which is closely connected to the HORSCH Foundation. The initiative was founded in 2015, the year after the big refugee movements, and its objective is to support refugees with regard to integration and access to the labour market in the district of Schwandorf. Therefore, the initiative initiates, plans and accompanies projects and supports voluntary commitment. A special focus is on the integration of women which are provided with special leisure time and learning facilities. Thus, more than 100 mothers have already taken part in German language courses in different towns in the district of Schwandorf. They were supported by 30 consultants as well as by more than 100 volunteers.
The Foundation is also involved in Landau and Ronneburg: in Landau it mainly supports already existing projects. In Ronneburg it creates new projects which on the one hand serve the social interaction and on the other hand open learning spaces for topics like nature, sustainability and environment.
For these and a lot of other projects we consider it as a privilege to take on social responsibility in co-operation with a lot of committed people and thus to be able to contribute to healthy human beings and a healthy environment beyond our company.