iFood vehemently repudiates any attitude of racism, does not tolerate situations that violate the company's irrevocable values and values diversity, inclusion and respect in all environments in which it operates.
We have been following the case that occurred with Brazilian victims of racism at the 2024 edition of the Brazil Conference at Harvard & MIT from the beginning, which culminated in the publication of an open letter with commitments established by the organization and Ambassadors of the event. Racism is a crime and those responsible must be punished. We support the invitation for a broader reflection on the promotion of ethnic-racial equity in the next editions, as well as we will continue to pay attention to implementing commitments with the organizers and other sponsors. We recognize that the conference is important to encourage relevant debates about Brazil and must have in its conception and execution values that dialogue with the present and the future that we want and are building for our country.
In its internal policies, iFood seeks to increasingly encourage the reduction of these barriers with affirmative policies and programs. Last year, the company launched its Legal and Psychological Support Center, in partnership with the collective of black lawyers, Black Sisters in Law, to combat cases of racism and discrimination suffered by delivery drivers. Furthermore, through iFood Crédito, we offer training, consultancy and lines of credit for restaurants run by black entrepreneurs. The project began last year in Salvador and recently reached the communities of Heliópolis and Paraisópolis, in São Paulo.
As for its employees – the so-called FoodLovers -, in 2018, iFood created Pólen, a strategic initiative that brings together discussion groups to talk about topics such as racism, the LGBTQIAP+ cause, people with disabilities, free bodies, the presence of women in leadership, between others. Today, the project collects people's pain and takes it to leaders, drawing up action plans and helping with the company's decision-making.
We will continue to promote actions to reduce the social and historical obstacles found in our society, as we are committed to fostering a more fair, respectful and welcoming future, impacting all the people involved in our ecosystem.