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Wenbo Pan

Weifang Jiahe

Hi, I'm Wenbo Pan and I grow organic ginger in China. Our company, Weifang Jiahe, lies in the eastern part of Shangdong Province near Anqiu City. The major activities are productions and export of a broad range of agricultural products including organic ginger.

We have our own facility in Anqiu city which is renowned for its good quality of vegetable and fruits. We export our products all over the world, including Europe, North and South America, other Asian countries and Middle Eastern countries.

We started our business in a traditional Chinese way of farming, which is actually very close to the modern ideas of organic farming. We realized actually it’s not very hard for us to convert our business into organic, and by that we can also enjoy all the benefits provided by organic farming at the same time. In 2006 we started to convert our business into organic and it has been very successful ever since.

Interview with Wenbo Pan

Nature&More: What is the main reason to start with organic farming?

Wenbo Pan: The recent economic developments in China have significantly improved the quality of daily life for the Chinese people. Consequently more and more Chinese people are paying attention to food safety and demanding an organic alternative. Organic farming ensures the harmonious relationship between man and nature and is a guarantee for food safety. Furthermore, it not only stimulates biodiversity but is also beneficial for the local population on numerous fronts. For example, the price of organic ginger is about 20%-50% higher compared to the non organic alternative. Here on our organic farms, we need more people than on the non organic farms, which means that we can provide more employment to the local community.

Nature&More: What was the most difficult part of converting to organic production?

Wenbo Pan: First of all, compared to non-organic farming, the yield of organic production is always a bit lower, especially during the conversion period (2-3 years). Furthermore, when you start following organic principles there is a lot to learn and discover. Not being able to rely on chemicals means a different mindset and attitude and this takes time. On top of that you need to keep the farmers motivated and this takes a lot of attention.

What does the organic way of producing mean to your employees?

Wenbo Pan: We are one of the biggest employers in the area. As mentioned organic farming requires more labor input than non-organic farming, and this means more jobs can be given to the local community, especially women who are not willing to go the city and work there. So in essence organic productions means more employment. Here we have a female labor union to guarantee the equal rights and interests of these women who are working for us. We are also doing our utmost to create a pleasant working environment. For example we often organize day trips, sport events, excursions, etc. for our employees.

What are you most proud of?

Wenbo Pan: After a tough 3 years of converting to organic, we can see significant improvements in the quality of our products. Our ginger is very popular and our clients are very enthusiastic about the quality of our products. As a company, we are benefiting from all of these new developments. Most importantly our employees are also profiting from our conversion and are earning a better income as well.

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soil

Although ginger grows below the soil it does not have a very well developed root system, which means the ability of the plant to absorb water and nutrients is poor. It is therefore very important to help the plant by ensuring the soil is rich in nutrients and well drained.

We plough in autumn to improve the soil structure , and mix the soil with compost to ensure the fertility for the cultivation the following year. After the winter, we plough again to make sure the soil has the right structure and we then apply compost to ensure the plants can receive sufficient nutrients during the cultivation. A healthy soil environment also stimulates beneficial, animal life in the soil like earthworms.

biodiversity

Chemical pest control is forbidden in organic farming, and we apply many different biological pest control methods here in Weifang. Ginger plants get less pests than other crops because of their unique smell. But this doesn’t automatically make ginger plants pest-free. Our farmers usually pick out the visible pests while they are working in the fields. Natural predators are applied in the fields to keep the right balance. We also started growing many different kinds of plants around the fields to increase the number of natural predators. Chickens can be found wandering around freely in the fields as well. These chicken not feed on the pests in the field, but also their manure helps increase the nutrient level of the soil.

We select and multiply our very own young rhizomes for the production of the following year. We select the biggest and the strongest plants in the fields, and keep them growing in the fields after the harvest to make sure they can store as many nutrients as possible. These strong ginger plants will produce young rhizomes on the old ones, and we will collect and store them for the next year. To guarantee the fertility of the soil, we also rotate different crops each year on our farms. At this moment we do rotations between soybeans, wheat and gingers.

individual

Ginger is traditionally considered a very healthy spice, increasing the “chi” or life energy. That’s why we call it a Health Wonder. Ginger has many health benefits including anti-inflammatory properties, blood sugar regulation and gastrointestinal relief.

Every year 20.000 to 340.000 farmworkers die of pesticide poisoning and 1 to 5 million farmworkers get sick from it. In organic cultivation no chemical-synthetic pesticides are used and significantly less pesticide residues are found on organic products in the store. Research indicates (Fantke & Jolliet, 2016) that this also has a health effect for consumers. In short, we can say with confidence that organic fruits and vegetables, on the average, are healthier. And that also goes for our organic ginger.

society

Every employee here at Weifang receives a regular and recorded health check. We are paying much attention to our employees’ physical wellbeing. We are also supplying our workers with accommodation if they don’t live in the nearby villages. All these accommodations are well-maintained and cleaned regularly. Newly-hired workers receive a complete training on how to work safely in the working field. We are trying our best to keep a safe and clean working environment for our employees.

Here at Weifang, we treat our workers equally. We organize a weekly meeting every Monday and everybody can talk about what they have on their minds about the work they’ve been doing. All of our colleagues can freely exchange their opinions. And if somebody has any problems that need to be dealt with, he / she can talk with the manager. We have no discrimination in hiring, compensating, promoting, or training, termination or retirement based on race, religion, age, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, political beliefs, union membership.

In rural China, discrimination on hiring female workers sometimes ,unfortunately, does exist. What often happens is that female workers are paid less than male workers, or simply do not get a job. This is certainly not the case here at Weifang. In fact we have a special female labour union to guarantee equal rights of all the female employees. Female worker are being paid the same amount as their male counterparts. This measure has been well received in the local community.

climate

We grow our ginger in the open field without any coverings above the ginger plants, and therefore they are completely dependent on the energy supply from mother nature. Before the ginger is shipped (by boat obviously) it is naturally dried at our warehouse.

The right location is essential when setting up an organic farm. We grow our ginger in the open fields , and this requires the quality of air to be high. Our business is located far from the industrial areas and cities to minimize the environmental impact from industrial gas emissions and daily human activities. We planted many trees around our farms, for example holly and poplar, and numerous studies show that these trees have a higher rate of sulfite consumption compared to normal plants. By planting a lot of these trees, we try to minimize the impact of air pollution on ginger.

water

Ginger does not have a very well developed root system and consequently are very sensitive and not able to uptake water easily. On the one hand we have to constantly irrigate the fields yet making sure they are not flooded at the same time. We use clean, underground water which is pumped out of a well to irrigate our fields. We are using many water-saving measures in our cultivation these days. For example we are currently using low-pressure pipes (either buried underground or laid on the ground), to bring the water right to the soil. This helps us save 30%-50% of the water usually lost to evaporation.

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