Last year, Swire Coca-Cola partnered with the China Green Foundation to establish a “Carbon Reduction Farmland” at Maodao Village, in Hainan Province. As part of Swire Coca-Cola's sustainable development strategy, this initiative aims to create a low-carbon community that boosts rural revitalisation, while preserving local characteristics. Following on from an initial project in Yunnan Province, the company plans to develop five Farmlands by 2025.
The majority of villagers at Maodao belong to the Li ethnic group, whose traditional spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidering techniques are recorded on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List. To help preserve these traditions while empowering youth, the project provides textile and e-commerce courses to enable locals to start their own businesses. It also encourages farmers to replace rubber trees with higher-income fruit trees and teaches them to convert straw waste to organic fertiliser. Swire Coca-Cola has also funded the installation of solar-powered streetlights in the community.
