Six of Aflofarm’s CRS projects have been included in the latest 17th edition of ‘Responsible Business in Poland. Best Practices’ report prepared by the Responsible Business Forum – the oldest and largest CRS organization in Poland.

The report entitled ‘Responsible Business in Poland. Best Practices’ is a major periodic publication which has been prepared by the Responsible Business Forum since 2002. It contains an overview of CSR activities undertaken by different businesses and a summary of the main issues related to responsible business in Poland in a given year.

The following of Aflofarm’s “Best Practices” have been recognized in this year’s edition:

#1. We run to help! We run to help is the company’s in-house charity project. Employees are encouraged to take up jogging sessions and record the total distance covered which is later converted, using a fixed conversion rate, to financial support for staff members whose children are struggling with health issues. Employees who covered the longest distance received PLN 500 store credit vouchers to be redeemed in a sports store.

#2. Don't let your future go up in smoke. Recent years have seen a growing trend to give up smoking with a considerable reduction in smoking rates. However, according to the WHO, campaigns addressed to children and teenagers have not been sufficient. Poland is still a high‑burden tobacco-use country with one of the highest smoking rates among teenagers. The campaign “Don't let your future go up in smoke” implemented by Aflofarm Farmacja Polska approaches the issue of tobacco smoking from a different perspective. Aiming to discourage teenagers (young people between 12 and 16 years) from taking up smoking, it features a 20‑minute educational video about the harmful effects of the habit prepared in collaboration with the Discovery Channel. The project also included a film competition with PLN 25 thousand prize money. Ready-to-use lesson plans with smoking education materials were distributed across elementary and secondary schools in Poland.   

#3. Responsible marketing. Food supplements are not medicinal products and the marketing activities to boost their sales (advertisements included) are not subject to strict regulations applicable to the sale of medicines. By signing the Code of Good Practice for Advertising of Dietary Supplements, Aflofarm Farmacja Polska undertook to follow a set of specific principles for advertising food supplements. According to the Code, advertisers must clearly indicate that their product is a dietary supplement and must not refer to medical conditions in their advertisements in a manner suggesting or implying that the product has specific medicinal properties. The code also prohibits the advertisers from using the figure of a doctor in advertising spots.  

#4. We Love Pabianice. ‘We Love Pabianice” is a foundation established by Aflofarm with a mission to support and address the needs of Pabianice residents. In 2018, the foundation donated PLN 140 thousand worth of hospital beds to Pabianice Rehabilitation Centre and a defibrillation device to the Nursing Home in Pabianice. It also provided financial support to the local museum, the Club of Honorary Blood Donors as well as different cultural and sports events.

#5. Aflofarm Foundation. In 2017, Aflofarm Farmacja Polska established Aflofarm Foundation – a corporate foundation responsible for part of the company’s CSR activities. Its main goal is to support health care, promote disease prevention and active living, as well as to build the awareness of medications and medicine. The foundation also runs campaigns for environmental protection, promotion of education and sports. 

#6 Youth in Łódź. In collaboration with the Łódź City Hall, Aflofarm Farmacja Polska organized a series of advertising workshops conducted by marketing department managers (“Youth in Łódź” program). The activities were addressed to university students interested in pursuing this area of study with an underlying goal to support the development of professional careers of Łódź students and encourage young people to establish academic and professional ties with the city.  

For full report, please go to:
https://odpowiedzialnybiznes.pl/publikacje/raport-2018/