Smurfit Westrock receives prestigious peacebuilding award
Emprender Paz Award recognises commitment to rural education and fostering peace in Colombia
Smurfit Westrock has been recognized with the 2025 Emprender Paz Award for its commitment to promoting rural education and fostering peace in Colombia’s communities. The award highlights the company’s long-term efforts to create opportunities in rural areas through education, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.
Smurfit Westrock and its Foundation in Colombia was recognized for their commitment to rural education and peacebuilding. The company received second place in the 18th edition of the Emprender Paz Award, presented by Fundación Grupo Social with the support of the Embassy of Sweden, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and Ayuda en Accion. The award honors companies that drive sustainable initiatives with a positive social impact in local communities.
The recognition highlights the work of Smurfit Westrock and its Foundation through the Institutos Tecnicos Agropecuarios y Forestales (ITAF) — Agroforestry Technical Institutes — an initiative that has provided technical education to more than 1,500 rural young people in the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca. The program strengthens students’ skills and creates sustainable opportunities for rural communities while supporting the company’s value chain. Today, more than 40 ITAF graduates work in Smurfit Westrock, contributing their knowledge, leadership, and commitment to the development of their communities.
During the ceremony, Vanessa Hatty, Director of Communications, Corporate Affairs and Marketing for Smurfit Westrock Central Cluster, said: “This recognition is not only for Smurfit Westrock, but for a team that believes, listens, and grows together with the community. The true achievement lies in every person who, with enthusiasm and commitment, has made rural education a gateway to the future. For more than 30 years, we have been promoting rural education, convinced that peace is built collectively — when business and community walk hand in hand.”
This achievement reinforces Smurfit Westrock’s purpose of creating real opportunities, protecting what matters, and caring for people and communities, demonstrating that sustainability and peace are built every day through concrete actions.
