By Tetiana Lebukhorska Senior Sector Lead, The Support to Ukraine’s Reforms for Governance Project (SURGe), funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Alinea.

Why are food issues so important today?

This year Russia’s unjust war against Ukraine has put a spotlight on the impact of food insecurity. For several months, the world has been balancing on the brink of threatening entire regions with shortages of grain, corn, oil, sugar; the balance and logistics of food supplies have been disturbed, and only the concentration of many governments has made it possible to solve this problem. However, the current solution is temporary and very unstable, and subsequent political events indicate new potential threats.

The Alinea team, funded by Global Affairs Canada takes a responsible approach to the global issue of food security. To implement effective mechanisms and tools for overcoming food crises, we launched the Victory Gardens program in Ukraine focused on working with the government, communities and families.

Along with the support of national and local governments in Ukraine, our team consistently implements comprehensive training programs, support for farmers and internally displaced persons. We offer communities tools on how to provide nutrition for their residents and help those in need. Solidarity is one of the basic values of food security. And on this day, we call on the world to reflect on the values that can unite us.

Although, the world has changed, there should be enough food for absolutely all people. But, as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations correctly states, the problem is access and availability of nutritious food, which is increasingly impeded by multiple challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, climate change, inequality, rising prices and international tensions. People around the world are suffering the domino effects of challenges that know no borders.

The problem is not the amount of food. The problem is the quality and possibilities of equitable distribution. Every day, thousands of tons of high-quality food ends up in the landfills of rich developed countries, or deteriorates in warehouses due to borders of military confrontation. And daily, hundreds of thousands of people suffer from malnutrition or poor nutrition. Every day, unfair decisions by individual governments block opportunities that should help families.

There is nothing more misleading than the idea that this problem is easy to solve – that it is enough to implement counting and fair distribution tools in each country or region – but this is not the case. Many countries have learned from experience that we need comprehensive solutions on a global scale, which include better production, a better approach to nutrition, better environmental practices, and the implementation of sustainable development principles. We need a profound transformation of many processes, some of which emerged more than a century ago. And We need deep cooperation of countries and organizations in the implementation of such comprehensive programs.

With the beginning of a full-scale war, SURGe together with our business partners provided food, baby food and drinking water to about 73,000 Ukrainians from 35 communities from February-May 2022. In addition, as part of the Victory Gardens initiative, we provided 76,000 people from 20 oblasts of Ukraine with agricultural supplies for growing and preserving food.

Therefore, today on #WorldFoodDay 2022 it is important to work together to achieve the common goals of sustainable development and the safety of every family. Together for a sustainable future.

alinea’s whistleblower policy

1.1 Purpose

The following Whistleblower Policy has been established to provide guidance to Alinea International employees and sub-contractors on how to deal with known or suspected improper conduct within the organization. The objectives of this Policy are to:

Create awareness of the Policy and available whistleblower protections
Act as a reference guide to potential whistleblowers wishing to make a disclosure
Define the structure of the whistleblower system, including reporting and investigation procedures, whistleblower protections, and confidentiality, among others
Improve the communication and transparency in the processes associated with whistleblowing and assure protection against derogatory consequences, namely reprisals and detrimental action
Complement the current communication channels between employees, sub-contractors and immediate managers, and hierarchical channels flowing to the President and Senior Management team
Provide guidance to all parties involved in either whistleblowing or whistleblower protection.

1.2 Scope

Alinea requires all employees and sub-contractors to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. All employees and sub-contractors of Alinea are required to comply with applicable laws and regulations of Canada and the countries where we operate. Any allegations of known or suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources will be dealt with in accordance with this Policy, and reasonable steps will be taken to protect those who come forward with allegations. Alinea’s Whistleblower Policy covers both internal and external whistleblowing, and establishes the controls and procedures for dealing with allegations of malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. This Policy is intended to encourage employees and sub-contractors to report known or suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources and to enable Alinea’s Senior Management team to address and correct inappropriate action. It is the responsibility of all Board of Directors’ members, the Senior Management team, employees and sub-contractors to report concerns about known or suspected malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. This Policy is applicable to all employees and sub-contractors of Alinea International.

1.3 Reporting Procedures

Alinea recognizes the value of transparency and accountability in its administrative and management practices and supports the making of disclosures that reveal improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources. Our internal controls and operating procedures are intended to detect and prevent malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. As detailed in Alinea’s Employee Policy and Onboarding manuals, employees and sub-contractors are encouraged to share complaints and/or concerns regarding ethical or legal violations with their immediate managers. If the employee or sub-contractor is not comfortable speaking with their immediate manager or is not satisfied with the response, they are encouraged to speak with the Gatineau or Calgary Office Managers, the Vice Presidents or, as required, the Chief Financial Officer. All members of the Senior Management team are required to report complaints and/or concerns about suspected ethical or legal violations in writing to Alinea’s Ethics Committee who has the responsibility to investigate all reported complaints and/or concerns. In the event that the complaint and/or concern is about the President, it should be raised by the employee or sub-contractor to their immediate manager or the Ethics Committee who will determine how the investigation will proceed. All reports will be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective measures will be taken if warranted by the investigation. Alinea’s Ethics Committee is responsible for acknowledging receipt of the suspected violation and notifying the whistleblower of the outcome of the investigation. Anyone filing a written complaint concerning suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates a violation. Personal grievances or complaints related to employment are not covered under Alinea’s Whistleblowing Policy. For cases such as this, employees and sub-contractors are advised to first refer to Alineas Employee Policy and Onboarding manuals when considering a disclosure under the Whistleblowing Policy. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and which prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense.

1.4 Confidentiality

Maintaining confidentiality is crucial to ensure reprisals are not made against the whistleblower. Alinea is committed to safeguarding the identity of the whistleblower and to protecting the whistleblower against detrimental action taken in reprisal for allegations of suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources. The Ethics Committee is responsible for ensuring whistleblowers are protected from direct and indirect detrimental action, and that the culture of the workplace is supportive of suspected allegations being made. Any employee who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment.

1.5 Review

Alinea is committed to implementing ‘best practice’ policies and procedures for dealing with allegations of suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources (as defined by this Policy) and the management and protection of whistleblowers making allegation(s). This Policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it meets the objectives of relevant legislation and remains effective for Alinea, and may be changed at the discretion of the Board of Directors at any time. For allegations of fraud, securities law, or human rights concerns, or when you are not satisfied or uncomfortable with following the Company’s open door policy, individuals should contact the Company’s Ethics Committee directly.

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World Food Day – Food Sustainability in Ukraine