Corporate Social Responsibility in the Sugarcane Industry and Its Implications on Sustainable Development : A Case Study of Mitr Phol Sugar Corporation’s CSR Policy and Practice in Suphanburi Province, Thailand

Abstract

This paper investigates Mitr Phol’s Sugar Company’s engagement with CSR policy and practice and its contribution to sustainable development within a farming community. The study examines the firm’s CSR motivation, and how this integrates concepts of stakeholder engagement and mitigates impacts on the environment. This topic was chosen to highlight Mitr Phol’s aim to address sustainability issues through dialogue and the empowerment of stakeholder communities. A qualitative case study approach was applied and involved interviewing key executives and managers, as well as conducting focus groups with community elders from municipal villages. The adaptation of corporate social performance (CSP) models and sustainable development frameworks shed light on the responsibility, responsiveness and outcome of CSR practice and its ramification on the community. It is revealed that CSR policy and practice are formulated at managerial levels and primarily focus on constructive engagements with stakeholders and commitments towards environmental sustainability. Mitr Phol does not merely aim to identify issues in the community, but strives towards building the capacity and knowledge of stakeholders, so they can actualize their own development initiatives. The firm practices balanced sustainability and acknowledges that it can only maintain natural capital to a certain degree. As a transnational economic agent, the company endeavors to integrate CSR throughout the company’s core competencies. The results of this study are useful for companies engaging in CSR.