Bacardi's Tree Planting Initiative—a Gift to Planet
Bacardi Limited, a family-owned spirits company, is celebrating its 161st anniversary by planting trees. The company will plant one tree for every employee to support biodiversity, help local communities, and lower carbon emissions by capturing 2.5 million kg of CO2.
This week, as part of its 161st anniversary celebration, every employee at Bacardi Limited will receive a special edition bottle of BACARDÍ® Carta Blanca with a QR code. The code allows the employees to plant a tree and monitor its growth and positive impact through an online platform.
Bacardi is working hard to become the most responsible global spirits company in the world. This tree-planting project is one way they are doing this. The company has an Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) programme called Good Spirited, which aims to restore communities, revive natural ecosystems, and transform the way it conducts business.
Mahesh Madhavan, Bacardi Limited CEO, said: "As a family-owned company, doing the right thing is in our DNA, and all of us at Bacardi share that passion for taking care of the environment. By creating our very own Bacardi forests, we can all take pride in having our own positive impact and being part of our company’s legacy for the next 161 years and beyond.”
The trees will be planted in five countries: India, Nepal, Indonesia, Ecuador, and Madagascar. 11 different species of trees have been chosen to maximise the benefits to each location and its community. These areas are also where Bacardi sources some of the ingredients for its premium drink portfolio, including BACARDÍ rum, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, GREY GOOSE vodka, PATRÓN tequila, MARTINI vermouth, and DEWAR'S Blended Scotch whisky.
Dave Ingram, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Bacardi Limited, said: "We care deeply about the farmers who grow our beautiful ingredients and take great pride in the strong relationships we’ve spent decades building with these communities. Planting these trees on their doorsteps is another way of giving back as we invest in their future and protect the environment for generations to come.”
To commemorate its 161st anniversary, Bacardi will plant 161 coconut trees in Puerto Rico, the home of the world's largest premium rum distillery, where BACARDÍ rum is made. Hurricanes have done a lot of damage to a nearby beach in recent years, but the trees will help fix and protect it.
This initiative also honours the company's iconic coconut palm, "El Coco," which was planted in front of the first BACARDÍ distillery in Cuba. El Coco is a symbol of how strong and resilient Bacardi is because it has survived a fire at the distillery, five earthquakes, and many hurricanes.
In Bermuda, where Bacardi's global headquarters is located, the company will plant 100 cedar saplings at a local nature reserve. The cedar tree is highly valued and symbolic in Bermuda, and it supports biodiversity by offering a critical nesting site for birds like the native Bluebird.
Bacardi celebrated its 161st anniversary on February 4, 2023, marking the day when Don Facundo Bacardí Massó founded the company in Santiago de Cuba. Bacardi has grown from a single brand of rum to a portfolio of well-known spirits brands worldwide over seven generations.
Source: Bacardi
Click here to learn more about Bacardi's ESG commitments.
