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JOHANNES - LIFE ON LAND

Il est bien connu que les agriculteurs biologiques font le choix d’une agriculture le plus en harmonie possible avec la nature. Il n’est donc pas surprenant de constater que les fermes biologiques ont bien plus de biodiversité sur et autour de leurs terres que leurs pendants non biologiques. Une biodiversité naturelle aide à maintenir un équilibre et rend donc possible une agriculture sans pesticides, ni fongicides, ni herbicides nocifs et sans engrais de synthèse.

BLUE CRANE, SOUTH AFRICA

Johannes de Lange dirige Blue Crane, un fournisseur sud-africain majeur d’agrumes. Johannes : « Ici à Kirkwood, nous avons deux apiculteurs, ils adorent les vergers de Blue Crane car les abeilles produisent plus de miel et surtout elles y sont en sécurité car aucun produit chimique n’y est vaporisé. Fait intéressant, certaines populations d’abeilles refusent de pénétrer dans les vergers de producteurs conventionnels d’agrumes de Kirkwood. En se promenant dans nos vergers, on observe beaucoup d’autres vies en plus des abeilles. Ont peut voir régulièrement des lapins, des pintades, d’autres oiseaux, des serpents et même des babouins. Je suis aussi heureux de pouvoir dire que, grâce à notre abri à chauve-souris, nous voyons beaucoup d’entre elles. C’est bon pour nous car elles consomment une quantité phénoménale d’insectes (environ 600 par nuit), surtout des papillons de nuit, ce qui est une bonne nouvelle car leurs petites chenilles nuisent à nos arbres ».

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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.”

Biodiversité

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.

Individu

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

Société

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.

Climat

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

Eau

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

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