bunge 2004 annual report Partnering with the Community environment education In 2003, Bunge partnered with Conservational International  and local groups to help protect the environmentally signifi cant  Cerrado region in Brazil. The partnership is working with  farmers to create a network of biological reserves near the  Emas National Park. Plans call for these activities to be  extended into new regions in 2005. In Brazil, the Fundação Bunge sponsors Communidade Educativa,  a volunteer program that fosters a culture of improvement in  primary schools. In 2004, more than 800 Bunge employees in  13 Brazilian states participated in Communidade Educativa.  They volunteered up to two hours per week at schools on  company time—more than 30,000 hours in total. The program  has helped reduce student absenteeism, increase parental  participation at their children’s schools and improve reading  and verbal skills among students. Fundação Bunge also sponsors the Basic Education Incentive  Prize, which recognizes primary school teachers for their  initiatives to improve education. The award is given in conjunction  with the Brazilian Ministry of Education. In Argentina, The Fundación Bunge y Born supports  educational programs from the elementary to the post-graduate  level. The Fundación sponsors cooperative programs in rural  areas and teacher-training programs in Buenos Aires, and  endows scholarships in the areas of food science and agronomy. In the U.S., the Bunge North America Foundation supports  local schools in St. Louis and other cities, and matches  employee gifts to educational institutions. 24 teaching workshop in brazil bunge is committed to furthering the well-being of  our stakeholders and the communities where we operate. We  aim to do right while doing well. Many of our efforts touch on  the areas of education, the environment, science and culture.