HaciendasBio promotes its CSR policy and strategy
Recently, George Oxley, a French biologist specialist in soil life, has endorsed the explosion of biodiversity on HaciendasBio farms, being the first time in 20 years that he finds species on agricultural land that are usually only found in highly protected wilderness areas and that are included in the ‘Red List’
In addition, the company has recently joined to international environmental projects such as the United Nations Global Compact project – UN Global Compact – and to various initiatives promoted by the WWF association
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10th December 2019.- HaciendasBio, the first organic fruit and vegetable producer in Spain and a leader in export to Europe, promotes the development of its CSR policy in line with the company’s core business value: respect for the environment at all levels.
Currently, it is one of the top three companies worldwide with the best environmental performance according to a study prepared by the Dutch consulting firm Soil&More, specialists in sustainability. This same document values the production system used by HaciendasBio, based on the principles of biodynamic agriculture, as they imply numerous benefits for the planet and society.
It mainly concludes that the company’s cultivation method provides a positive environmental impact effect of three million euros per year to the planet.
Replenishing soil fertility to achieve the balance of the ecosystem is crucial for the producer. HaciendasBio applies compost and other organic materials to the soil, performs no-till farming and does not apply fertilizer products. Finally, it manages flora through mowing and planting in order to improve the permeability and content of the organic matter in the soil.
HaciendasBio biodiversity, endorsed by George Oxley
Another HaciendasBio’s strengths is the respect for biodiversity, bringing great value to the planet in a context in which between 10,000 and 50,000 species are lost every year, according to the latest data from the Living Planet report issued by the WWF association, the largest independent nature conservation organization. This entity also points out that biodiversity has been reduced by 58% worldwide in the last 40 years, something that poses a risk to humanity according to the UN.
In this regard, the French biologist and biochemist, George Oxley, specialized in soil life and a great connoisseur of plants from a medicinal and nutritional point of view, has made a soil diagnosis of the main farms of HaciendasBio. He has been analysing different conventional, ecological and biodynamic farms for 20 years and it is the first time in his career that he finds species that, in general, are only found in very protected wild areas, in agricultural lands.
These are plants classified as “rare”, almost in extinction, such as Taenatherum caputmedusa and Vulpia cilliata, both herbaceous. Many of them are included in the ‘Red List’, the List of Threatened Species prepared by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the main authority in this area. It is the most comprehensive inventory of the conservation status of animal and plant species worldwide.
In addition, Oxley trained HaciendasBio workers at La Albuera farms about biodiversity.
HaciendasBio has 34 farms throughout the Spanish territory located in areas rich in protected environmental resources that allow to take advantage of all the renewable energies of the environment. They have nearby rivers and native vegetation, are far from fertilizers and herbicides that degrade the environment and are protected by natural barriers that surround their perimeter. In addition, the producer has reserved areas on its farms that work as a natural biodiversity reservoir and hosts La Albuera Garden on its farm located in Extremadura, populated by representative species from all continents of the world.
Strengthening CSR policies and strategies
In addition to carrying out a fully responsible and respectful production, HaciendasBio is strengthening its adherence to international external initiatives that play a crucial role in caring for the planet. Recently, it has joined the international compact Global Decalogue promoted by the United Nations in order to promote environmental responsibility.
This adhesion declares the company’s commitment to comply with the 10 ethical principles established by the UN, including promoting greater environmental responsibility.
Likewise, HaciendasBio has adhered to different initiatives promoted by the WWF association. For example, the Earth hour, the signature and dissemination of the message against plastics as well as the loss of biodiversity. The company is also registered as a volunteer for tree planting or garbage collection on its farms, amongst other actions.
Clean energy, a priority for HaciendasBio
Another aspect in which the producer is highly committed is the production of clean energy in order to not contaminate and not generate wastes around its activity. In that sense it captures C02 incorporating of all the vegetable remains of the crops, improves the conditions of the organic matter before its application and builds irrigation systems with solar energy in 80 hectares of crops, amongst other measures.
The company is also strongly committed to avoid waste through different measures such as reusing all organic wastes in composting processes, recycling of all non-compostable plastic wastes and reducing plastic materials in fruit and vegetables packaging.
