Relations with the Community

Within the ESG concept, when it comes to social, there are two sides: our internal public, our employees, and society. Keeping a frequent, close relationship with local communities around our sites is part of Dexco’s social strategy to promote local development.

This relationship tends to be even more efficient and successful if there is a direct conversation channel with its representatives. To that end, we have developed two very important initiatives: Agente da Gente (People’s Agent) and Rodas de Diálogo (Conversation Roundtables).

Local labor hiring

In job openings, Dexco prioritizes, through its internal selection processes, dissemination among its employees, aiming to provide opportunities for movement and growth. In external communications, local hiring is prioritized, seeking to generate increasingly more opportunities in the communities where we are present. To achieve this, our selection tool (Gupy) prioritizes candidates from the nearest communities based on postal codes. We also invest in advertising in public places such as Job Assistance Centers, fairs, etc.

Agente da Gente Program (People’s Agent)

Agente da Gente has been active at Dexco since 2017 and its goal is to mobilize employees to be engagement/multiplying agents. Initially, employees are trained so they can be apt to talk with the community, helping ascertain a local social diagnosis.

We believe this way we create a team in every unit whose work directly helps built a joint agenda for local development.

 

Rodas de Diálogo (Conversation Roundtables)

Conversation Roundtables are an active listening and engagement process through which we not only improve our relationship and expand our conversation, but also helps us understand what each community is like, important issues, and who the main local players are. This way, it is possible to select initiatives to receive private social investment that meet their priority needs, build a legacy, promote social transformation, and leave a positive impact.

There are four steps to conversation roundtables, starting with the mobilization and preparation of the Agente da Gente employees to work in the program. Then, roundtables are held with local players (when it comes to a community, we involve locals and nearby associations, as well as companies and institutions we deal with or believe it is important to do so).

Once the roundtable has been held, the agents prepare the minutes and devise an Action Plan, listing up to three local initiatives that will be carried out throughout the year. The documentation and materials are shared with our Social Responsibility area, which together and aligned with the company’s strategy, selects the proposals that will receive resources, annually.

The project selection process involves several internal and leadership areas before they are put in place.

The process can be seen on the right:

1
Conversation roundtable in the local community
2
Proposal submission
3
ESG Management analysis
4
Compliance analysis
5
Executive and Sustainability Committee approval
6
Formalization
7
Execution
8
Project evaluation/Finalization
“D+ Valor” (Give More Value) Volunteering Program

Our corporate volunteering program is currently dedicated to the professional qualification of socially-vulnerable young people through the Formare Program*, engaging our employees as volunteering educators during working hours. In 2023, in the class started in Uberaba (MG), 14 young people are in the process of training, by 29 volunteer educators, totaling 340 hours.

Programa Na Mão Certa (On the Right Track Program)

Developed by Childhood Brasil, Na Mão Certa* brings companies together by adhering to the Corporate Pact against the forced labor and modern slavery and child labor in the supply chain. It is a commitment that Dexco took part since 2007. The goal is to tackle this grave violation of human rights. Periodically, we raise awareness on the subject with our suppliers, so that they can act as agents on the roads, through the Dexco Supplier Management (GFD) program and run internal awareness campaigns.

Colômbia

In addition to Brazil, Dexco conducts social initiatives in Colombia where we have a channel through which all positive and negative impacts identified with the communities neighboring the areas of the forest projects are received and welcomed with the support of La Fundación Gestión Social y Ambiental, which is our ally in working with communities.

 

*Documents available only in Portuguese