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Johannes de Lange

Blue Crane

My name is Johannes and I grow organic oranges, lemons and mandarins for Nature & More in the East Cape province of South Africa. Our company, Blue Crane, grows organic citrus together with one other independent organic farmer. Thank you for buying our fruit!

The Blue Crane farm is located in the Sundays River Valley. We are close to the Greater Addo National Park, an elephant reserve comprising of 1.2 million acres of land set aside for animals to roam freely. Apart from elephants, other large animals can be found here such as the black rhinoceros, buffalo’s, antelopes and lions. The Sundays River receives water from one of the largest rivers in South Africa, the Orange River. Apart from citrus cultivation, sailing and fishing are the main activities.

The name Blue Crane stems from the national bird of South Africa. The feathers of this Blue Crane bird were traditionally used by the Xhosa people who put these in their hair when preparing for battle. The men with the Blue Crane feathers were called Ugaba (trouble) – it was believed that when there was trouble, these men would reinstate peace and order.

Organic farming started here many years ago when I noticed that the warm air of the valley was no longer laden with the scent of oranges, due to intensive use of chemicals. More and more growers went out of business, because of the deregulation of the citrus industry. Many parts of the valley were neglected. After doing some research, I decided that organic farming was the answer to both these problems. Now the orchards are strong and healthy again!

Blue Crane Farm has developed it’s own way of producing and selling organic crops. We hope to attract more growers to change to organic farming in the future!

Interview with Johannes

N&M: Why did you make the transition to organic?

Johannes: My parents-in-law moved here in the mid 1990’s. In those years you could see the chemicals, applied to the citrus trees, hover over the valley like a fog. Some of the local doctors blame the chemicals for increasing allergic problems, high bronchitis rates and even considered it dangerous to pregnant women. We were threatening the beautiful valley that sustains us! We decided that someone had to start something in order for change to happen and so have started to convert our production to organic as from 2000. Of course we were also motivated by the higher prices paid for organic crops, but switching to organic practices does involve taking risks.

N&M: What kind of risks?

Johannes: It takes a lot more effort to grow organic fruit, which comes at a higher cost. For example, we keep the ground of our orchards covered in green all year because it’s better for the soil. But that meant that we had to adjust our irrigation system, because the cover needs to be watered too! The green cover provides habitat for beneficial insects, but it can also harbor pests such as snails, which we need to control.

N&M: Some organic farmers employ ducks and geese for the control of slugs and snails – do you?

Johannes: That may well work on small farms in Europe, but our environment is different. We have tried to work with geese, but unfortunately we lost all of them to wild cats! One of our growers observed that guinea fowls are much faster in escaping from these predators. They also tend to stay when fed regularly. This is why we are now experimenting with them in order to find out how effective they are.

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soil

The flood plains of the Sundays River Valley have fertile red soil. As an organic farmer, Johannes employs advanced composting techniques to maintain the fertility of these soils. The positive effects of this are numerous. Soil water management is improved, with better drainage and reduced erosion and runoff. As a result the soil is more resistant to drought or flooding. Biodiversity is greatly improved. Soil-borne diseases are suppressed. More organic matter is stored in the soil, that compensates for greenhouse gas emissions. In short, good composting brings fertility and saves the climate!

Johannes: “We have taken several workshops to learn how to make the best compost ourselves. We have brought in specialists from South Africa and Europe and have recently ordered the necessary equipment. We also have plans to work together with the local municipality to collect garden waste.”

“Healthy soil is crucial for the production of our organic citrus, which is why we take this very seriously. When an orchard is not producing well and the soil is needs to be revitalized, we give the soil a few years ‘vacation’ and let our cattle graze on the land. Besides this, we also plant Lucerne for two years, which has a nitrogen fixing ability for the soil.”

True Cost of Food for these oranges

Conventional benefit: € 149
Organic benefit: € 1150
=> Organic benefit for society: € 1002

* Cost comparison per hectare per year

biodiversity

The Sundays River Valley borders on Addo National Elephant Park, a natural reserve of more than (444000 acres) 164000 ha of pristine bushveld. It provides habitat for many native plant species as well as animals. Many of Johannes’ orchards border on this fine-tuned ecosystem.

Contrary to conventional neighbors who keep the soil in their orchards bare, Johannes maintains a ground cover made up of different grasses and clovers. This increases the soil quality and provides a habitat for small animals. The clovers are nitrogen-fixing and the grasses provide mulching material which naturally decomposes and provides organic matter for the soil microorganisms to feed on.

In between the orchards, many trees are planted. As an organic farmer Johannes does not use herbicides, which helps biodiversity. And of course his fields are GMO-free!

Apart from the many wild animals roaming in the Addo National Elephant Park, there is a lot of biodiversity in the orchards too. As an organic farmer Johannes does not use insecticides, which is good for insect life. Birds, bats and other animals profit from this too. The green cover of the orchard floor provides habitat for small animals as well. Johannes is experimenting with guinea fowl to control snails.

True Cost of Food for these oranges

Conventional cost/benefit: unknown
Organic cost/benefit: unknown
=> Organic cost/benefit for society: unknown

* Cost comparison per hectare per year

individual

Oranges, mandarins and lemons are a rich and natural source of vitamin C.

Vitamin C...

helps create proper resistance
contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system
increases iron absorption
contributes to a normal energy management
is good for the formation of collagen
is good for the normal functioning of teeth
contributes to the decrease of fatigue
is good for the normal functioning of blood vessels

True Cost of Food for these oranges

Conventional cost: € 3420
Organic cost: € 289
=> Organic benefit for society: € 3131

* Cost comparison per hectare per year

society

Education is an important way to create freedom of the mind. Organic farming requires more ecological knowledge and know-how, so employees get extra on-the-job training. Apart from that, Johannes is studying the possibilities of bio-dynamic farming, which is even a step up from organic farming.

The company fully complies with South Africa's human rights rules and regulations. Johannes’ farm is a family business that strives for stability. Most of the permanent employees earn a salary that is higher than in conventional citrus farms in the area. Moreover, organic farms have around 1.2 permanent workers per hectare whereas conventional farms only employ 1 person per hectare. There are many employees who have been with the company for a long time. Johannes is also giving money to a local orphanage, to help the children there.

True Cost of Food for these oranges

Conventional cost/benefit: unknown
Organic cost/benefit: unknown
=> Organic cost/benefit for society: unknown

* Cost comparison per hectare per year

climate

The sun is still the most important energy source for citrus farming in Sundays River Valley. Johannes’s oranges mandarins and lemons are certified organic so no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are used. In conventional farming this can amount to 80% of the energy used. Most of the work is still done by hand, which saves fossil fuel. The oranges are transported to Europe by ship, which is the most energy efficient transport method.

A full life cycle assessment was made of the CO2-footprint of Johannes’ products.

CO2-footprint:

Oranges: 0.617 kg CO2e/kg
Mandarins (easy-peelers): 0.617 kg CO2e/kg
Lemons: 0.612 kg CO2e/kg

What does this mean

The footprint shows the amount of greenhouse gas emission for one kilogram of fruit, for the whole production process: from the greenhouse to the store. The average CO2 footprint for fruit is 3.4 CO2 / kg, according to the Food Climate Research network. Johannes’ citrus fruits are far below this and are therefore a climate friendly fruit.

Technical explanation

All emissions are taken into account, including transport and packaging. The calculations for carbon footprint are based on the reported emissions in 2008. The assessments are done according to a comparable methodology as described in the PAS 2050, a standard developed by the British Standard Institute. It was carried out by Soil & More International BV. www.soilandmore.com

True Cost of Food for these oranges

Conventional cost: € 5072
Organic cost: € 3729
=> Organic benefit for society: € 1343

* Cost comparison per hectare per year

water

Johannes’ organic oranges, lemons and mandarins are produced as efficiently as possible when it comes to water use. A few years ago we calculated the water footprint:

Oranges

Total water footprint: 208.3 l/kg product

Mandarins (easy-peelers):

Total water footprint: 208.3 l/kg product

Lemons

Total water footprint: 166.7 l/kg product

What does this mean

The water footprint shows the amount of water used for one kilogram of fruit, for the whole process: from the tree to a European store. The global average water footprint for oranges is 500 liters. The footprint of Johannes’ oranges is considerably lower. Also, his “grey” water use is zero, which means zero water pollution.

Technical explanation
The water footprint was calculated in line with the Water Footprint Network methodology. It distinguishes between “blue”, “”green” and “grey” water. “Blue” refers to surface waters and ground water, “green” refers to rain water in the upper soil, and “grey” refers to the amount of water pollution. Water use related to the generation of electricity and the production of input materials was excluded. This calculation was based on data regarding yields and practices for the season/year of 2008. The water footprint study was carried out independently by Soil & More International BV. www.soilandmore.com

True Cost of Food for these oranges

Conventional cost: € 867
Organic cost: € 615
=> Organic benefit for society: € 261

* Cost comparison per hectare per year

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Good day, I would please like

Submitted by Elton Greeve on 3 August 2021 - 1:16pm

Country:

South Africa

Good day, I would please like to inquire whether you have any fruit avaiable, or planned fruit stock availability that we can purchase?
Regards,
Elton Greeve
Tridge, South Africa
elton.greeve@tridge.com
0738917637

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Johannes de Lange

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Good day, I would please like

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True Cost of Food for these oranges

True Cost of Food for these oranges

True Cost of Food for these oranges

True Cost of Food for these oranges

True Cost of Food for these oranges

True Cost of Food for these oranges

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Good day, I would please like

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