SILVERLEAFE Joins the United Nations Global Compact as the First from the Agro-Industry Sector in Uzbekistan

Silverleafe, LLC (Silverleafe), an Uzbek-American joint venture providing an innovative model of mechanized agricultural clusters since 2018, has joined the United Nations (UN) Global Compact initiative— a voluntary leadership platform launched in 2000 for the development, implementation, and disclosure of responsible business practices.

On 14 July 2021, Silverleafe became the first organization in Uzbekistan from the agro-business industry to become a member of the United Nations Global Compact. Silverleafe, established in 2018, mainly operates in the areas of agriculture, irrigation, and textiles. In the last three years, Silverleafe has played an important role to modernize agricultural reforms in Uzbekistan with the introduction of new technology as well as digitalization of agricultural data. Particularly, their contribution to improving the efficiency of cotton cultivation, a major industry in Uzbekistan, has been significant. Silverleafe is also a strong advocate to promote women’s empowerment, as evidenced by the launch of the Silverleafe Women’s Fund for Innovation and Development last year. Furthermore, they have proactively engaged in various community initiatives including public safety projects and child oncology support and championing the private sector’s role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and its national targets in Uzbekistan’s agro-industry.

Dan Patterson, General Director of Silverleafe, said that “Silverleafe’s participation in the UN Global Compact is a re-affirmation of our commitment to conduct operations with the highest standards of business ethics, respect for human rights and its resolution to improving and protecting the lives of individuals in its local, regional and national communities.” Silverleafe’s standards as set forth in its Code of Conduct apply to all facilities that produce goods for Silverleafe or any of its subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, contractors, or agents. These standards are based on internationally accepted labor standards and guidelines outlined by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Mr. Patterson continued that “our participation in the UN Global Compact is a key milestone to contribute to climate positive and resilient agricultural innovation ensuring sustainable value chain.”

The UN in Uzbekistan recognizes the laudable steps that Silverleafe has taken to take part in the reforms in the country. As the first for-profit business organization from the agro-business industry to sign up as a member of the UN Global Compact, Silverleafe is indeed an innovator. Ms. Helena Fraser, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan noted that “Silverleafe’s progressive actions paved the way for other organizations to break the old stereotypes regarding the investment climate in Uzbekistan. Through its vision-mission and code of conduct, Silverleafe has been an epitome on how to be a sustainable development catalyst at local, national, and global levels.”

The UN in Uzbekistan stands ready to partner with the private sector and businesses in incorporating sustainability principles and facilitate the dialogue between interested business organizations to drive change in business behavior and help drive the country’s sustainability agenda and national development goals. Ms. Fraser continued that, “together, the UN and the private sector can combine and capitalize on its comparative strengths and resources to deliver the much needed and meaningful results to the present and future generations.”

About Silverleafe, LLC

Silverleafe is a US-Uzbek joint venture agro-cluster that started in the Jizzakh region in Uzbekistan. It brings modern practices and technologies to Uzbekistan's agriculture, irrigation, and textile industries. Silverleafe is committed to improving the lives of individuals in its local, regional, and national communities through the modernization it brings to Uzbekistan through the following tasks:

• integrate the local population into the modernization process, through training and practical training;
• contribute to the saturation of the domestic market with high-quality, competitive products, with its introduction to the international market; and
• promote the social, educational, and humanitarian programs in the field of education, medicine, and sports.

About the UN Global Compact

Launched in 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is both a policy platform and a practical framework for companies that are committed to sustainability and responsible business practices. It is the largest corporate sustainability initiative globally, with over 10,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries and more than 60 Local Networks. As a multi-stakeholder leadership initiative, it seeks to align business operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.