Soil
Rotation, cover crops and composted manure on every block. Soil organic carbon sampled every two years.
Land and people
Leave the soil better than we found it.
We have farmed the same valley for 28 years and intend to farm it for a hundred more. That means caring for the soil, the water, the air and the families around the estate.
Our commitments
Five things we measure every year
Water
Pond water reused for irrigation. Boreholes metered and checked so we never draw more than they recharge.
Power
A 1.2 megawatt solar plant with batteries covers 38 percent of estate power, and diesel use is down by half since 2021.
Waste
Cassava peel to biogas and animal feed, manure to compost, broken eggs to the fish. Little leaves as waste.
People
Fair pay, safe work, a clinic on the estate and a primary school bus for workers’ children.
38%
estate power from solar
52%
less diesel than 2021
94%
of cassava peel reused
11
boreholes, all metered
Community
The estate is part of the valley
Nine in ten of our staff live within 20 km. We fund a clinic on the estate open to workers’ families, a borehole in each of the four nearest villages, and 120 secondary school scholarships a year.
- Estate clinic with a nurse and weekly doctor visits
- Four village boreholes, maintained by us
- 120 scholarships a year for secondary school
Progress
Where we are against our 2030 targets
| Target | Baseline 2021 | Now | 2030 goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar share of power | 0% | 38% | 70% |
| Cassava peel reused | 40% | 94% | 100% |
| Women among outgrowers | 28% | 41% | 50% |
| Blocks with cover crops | 10% | 46% | 90% |
Example figures for this demo.
We used to burn the cassava peel. Now it heats the roasters and feeds the goats. My grandfather would laugh.
Are you certified organic?
No. We use approved fertiliser and crop protection where needed, but far less than we did, and never by blanket spraying.
Do you clear forest?
No. All 1,840 hectares were farmland before we leased or bought them. We plant trees on block edges every year.