Andres Vergara

Andres Vergara

Core

Hi, I'm Andres Vergara and I grow organic Kiwi's, Royal Gala Apples and Blueberries for Nature & More in Chile. Our company is called Core and most of our farms are located around Chillan, south of Santiago in the Bio-Bio region, in Chile's central valley.

Due to previous volcanic activities this region has some of the most fertile soils in Chile. Thus it is not surprising that Chillan has become an important centre for agricultural production. The main products from this region include wine, grain, fruit and vegetables.

All Core farms are individually owned and managed by their owners with the assistance of qualified agronomists. Apart from giving general advice with regards to basic management practices or specific advice in relation to new crops, these agronomists provide valuable input when it comes to the organic practices. Since organic growing is an ongoing learning process these interchanges are vital to the success of Core farms. In addition to hands-on advice, Core also publishes information leaflets on a regular basis in which organic practices are discussed from time to time.

Organic products from Core farms have been exported to the United States and Europe since 1991, when the first grower, Jose Hidalgo, was certified organic. This particular farm has played an important role in educating other organic growers in Chile and is frequently visited by university students and featured on national television.

Interview with Jose Hidalgo, founder and collegue of Andres Vergara

N&M: Jose, you are well known throughout Chile for your organic production. How did you get involved in organic?
Jose: 25 years ago, I was in Switzerland and I went to look at a supermarket. I saw Chilean fruit displayed. It looked beautiful, firm, fresh, without blemishes. Next to it was a pile of organic fruit that did not look nearly so attractive and was twice the price. When I saw a woman buying the organic fruit, I approached her and asked her "Why are you not choosing that beautiful fruit from my country?" She replied: "These organic apples look rustic and natural, so pesticides must not have been used on them. I think that is healthier for me." That was an eye-opener for me, that European consumers bought fruit not based on perfect appearance, but on a quality called 'organic'.

N&M: Did you begin conversion to organic right away?
Jose: No, because I did not know how. First, I studied as much as I could find about organic. There was not much available then. It also took another visit to Switzerland, where I noticed the beautiful corn of a friend of mine. It turned out that he used a fertilizer with a much higher percentage of organic matter than those we used in Chile. Of course I knew about organic matter from my studies but had not been convinced of its importance in terms of fertilization. Seeing my friend's corn changed that.

N&M: And did that convince you to change?
Yes. When I got home, I started to experiment on my farm. One of these tests showed drastic differences in corn grown with conventional fertilizer compared with that which was grown with crude compost. I say ‘crude’ now, because I have learned a lot more about compost since. When the corn with the compost application turned out a lot better, I knew that organic farming was the way of the future. I continued to experiment.

N&M: What made the most dramatic impact on your farm?
Jose: Definitely the compost applications. This allowed me, in kiwi for example, to get by with fewer plants per acre. Increasing soil fertility allowed the remaining plants to develop more naturally and produce more fruit. I believe that there is a direct relationship between what happens under ground and what happens above ground. I have a higher yield now than before with more trees.

N&M: Were there any other benefits?
Jose: Yes, fewer plants per acre resulted in more light and air in the orchard, which meant that we had less of a fungus problem. That meant that I did not have to apply fungicides. I never liked handling those chemical sprays. So organic provided a healthy alternative for many agricultural practices. It was a natural decision to change. I converted step-by-step and by 1991 my entire farm was organic.

N&M: Do you still grow the same crops that you grew before you changed to organic agriculture?
Jose: In principle, yes. But, of course, we have introduced new crops. We keep experimenting. A few years ago, we started with pumpkin and this year we have planted blueberries for the first time. They were difficult to get in Chile, so we started with just a few and increased them in our own nursery.

N&M: Are you proud of your achievement?
Jose: Yes, of course. I wish more growers in Chile would grow organically. I do my best to tell them about it. Each year there are several classes of young students from the university in Santiago who come to my farm to learn about organic. I think there is a lot of interest, but not all of them have an opportunity to practice organic agriculture because hardly any of them own a farm. You see, that is another problem. Those who own the land are not yet interested in organic and those who are enthusiastic about organic don't own the land. That needs to be changed, too.

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soil

Soil is arguably one of the earth’s most important – yet often neglected – natural resources. It is essential for life on earth because it nurtures plants, which in turn provide food and oxygen for humans and animals. A healthy soil is the basis for any sustainable development in agriculture and, managed in the right way serves as a remarkable solution to various environmental threats such as water scarcity, climate change, food security.
Core growers are committed to further develop soil and mineral resources through compost and other adequate soil treatment tools, rather than just using them. Important practices used by Core growers to maintain and improve the health of the soil include:

Using compost and other organic fertilisers – to improve soil structure and prevent soil erosion
Not using any artificial fertilisers and chemical synthetic pesticides. This helps to protect soil life and with it the soils and plants health and natural disease resistance.
Sowing between the kiwi trees – to prevent soil erosion and nutrient leaching
Planting hedges and meadows – to prevent soil erosion and nutrient loss

biodiversity

Many of the growers of Core cultivate kiwi fruit in association with sheep. This is a mutually beneficial relationship. The green ground cover in the orchard is important for the microorganisms in the soil. It also serves as pasture for the sheep. By feeding on it, the sheep keep the ground cover short which means that it does not compete for nutrients with the kiwi fruit. Furthermore the sheep droppings are broken down by the microorganisms in the soil and turned into nutrients for the plants to feed on. Sheep are ideally suited to a kiwi orchard as they do not cause any damage as do goats and cows. Core growers also keep beehives in their orchards, because good pollination is important to them. The bees ensure that each flower gets fertilized so that it produces fruit. Although other insects also pollinate flowers, no insect is as efficient and effective as the bee. Other animals that are found around the farms are foxes, grey goose and skunks.

As for plant biodiversity, most Core growers cultivate just a few hectares with a different variety of crops. Apart from kiwi, they grow asparagus, blueberries, strawberries and keep a small amount of livestock. Their farms are relatively smallscale with rows of trees and/or hedges between the different cultivars. This provides for nesting opportunities and feeding ground for birds. In the kiwi orchard itself the growers maintain a year-rond groundcover, which consists of a variety of herbs and grasses, as well as leguminous plants such as clover and vetch. All of these serve a different purpose. Some provide habitat and feed for beneficial insects, while others fix nitrogen to the soil. The area around Chillan, where the Core growers are located is also known for several varieties of trees, which are unique to the area. These are frequently cherished by the growers. Not only because they are beautiful, but also because they are native to their region and they refer to them with pride.

individual

Organic cultivation is healthier for both the grower and consumer, because no chemical inputs are used. Worldwide the number of deaths of farm workers as a cause of direct pesticide poisoning is estimated at 20,000 to 300,000 per year. As research by Danish scientist Fantke and True Cost modelling shows, pesticide residues on products can have a considerable impact on DALY or Disability Adjusted Life Years. Organic produce has signifantly less residues.

society

One of the most important aspects is training and awareness. This is not only gives the individual important tools to do his job even better but empowers him. All the Core farms are assisted and advised by qualified agronomists. In addition to hands-on advice, Core also publishes information leaflets on a regular basis in which organic practices are discussed from time to time. The company offers career possibilities to workers who would normally not have access to higher level jobs. One example is Maria, who is in charge of one of the farms of Core. She once started working in the harvest. She proved herself as reliable and became irrigation chef; now she is in charge of the entire farm.

Core (like most other fruit growers in this part of the world) employ both seasonal as well as full time workers. The reason is that during the harvest there is a lot more work (in the field and packing station) than during the other part of the year. The seasonal workers are either locals or migrant workers from other parts of the country or continent. When it comes to respecting human rights, health and safety issues and equal treatment, Core not only complies to national legislation but has the necessary certifications (to be able to supply European and North American) customers in place.

Apart from a decent wage, on many of the Core farms, gardens are provided to the workers so they can grow their own fruit and vegetables. The left over fruit of many of the Core farms is taken to nearby public schools. Farmer Francisco for instance takes his organic kiwi and blueberries to the school “El Carbon”, so the children can eat important vitamins.

climate

As with all fruits, when it comes to energy, kiwi trees rely on mother nature. Therefore in farming the dominant energy inputs are indirect. In conventional farming, they come from for the manufacture and transport of fertilizers (specifically nitrogen) and pesticides. Depending on the crop these can account for as much as 80% of the energy input. Since all Core farms farm organically and therefore do not use chemical fertilisers, pesticides or other agro chemicals, it therefore comes as no surprise that his organic apples, pears and plums are considerably more energy efficient than their non organic counterparts. The electricity that is used in processing and packing comes from hydrolic power, which is renewable and clean. The use of compost helps to sequester carbon in the soil. The use of fossil fuel is limited, thanks to the extensicve use of hydro-electric power in the area.

water

Kiwi's actually need a lot of water: this is supplied by drip irrigation if possible, and in some cases by flooding or spray irrigation, depending on the needs of the plant. The water supply is carefully managed to avoid shortages. In order to optimize water use and productivity, Core has introduced a monitoring system, which adapts the use of water for irrigation automatically, taking into account climate, humidity and season. This monitoring system is combined with drip irrigation, in order to make the water use even more efficient. Water samples are taken once a year, to measure quantity and quality. The farm also involves people from the local community in a water conservation project, by organizing meetings and info-events. Two days per month are dedicated to cleaning the irrigation channels of waste in order to raise consciousness among the workers and to assure high water quality.

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