New: Fairtrade avocados from Kenya
Eosta takes the next step in Kenya's avocado supply. This summer, all our avocado suppliers from Kenya are Fairtrade certified. Eosta's organic avocado is unique when it comes to quality and sustainability. In a challenging time when companies are taking steps to report on climate and water, we are taking an extra step to offer our organic avocado also in a socially fair way.
Living Wage and Fair Trade
On the social front, we started with a living wage for workers at packing stations four years ago. Four years later, enough money has been raised to guarantee a 40% wage increase in coming years, virtually closing the gap to the Living Wage benchmark. A huge step for the workers (mostly women/mothers) in the packing stations. They are now moving from survival to a more dignified life, including a good education for their children.
Anthony Ngugi of Mavuno Organics Kenya: “We are full of many stories about how our worker's lives and their families are been transformed by the Living Wage premiums courtesy of Eosta. It is one of a kind, an echo to sustainable efforts. Marvellous! "
Fairtrade certification will soon be added. Last year we worked hard to train and organise growers in the Muranga region in smallholder groups. They will consider how to spend the premium obtained from the sale of Fairtrade avocado. This creates extra cohesion within the community and contributes to the organizational capacity of the smallholders.
Small-scale organic cultivation
Our organically certified avocados are grown in Kenya by smallholders, the average area per farm is one hectare. The cropping system is mixed. Various crops like coffee, banana, pepper, pulses etc are grown interchangeably. There is also some livestock farming, mostly a cow and some goats for milk and, of course, their dung. Native trees provide shade for the coffee. So there is a natural variation that provides an ecologically as well as financially resilient business model for the growers.
The avocado from our Kenyan growers has everything going for it when discussing sustainability, says Gert-Jan Lieffering Sourcing Manager at Eosta. The product scores well on all fronts of the sustainability domain. Irrigation is not necessary, as two rainy seasons ensure a sufficient natural supply of water. This means that these avocados have a water footprint of zero. Quite extraordinary for a fruit that is often framed as a super water guzzler.
The huge natural mulch layer full of organic matter ensures high water retention capacity.
CO2 emissions are also low. No fertilizer is used, there is no mechanization and no pump for water, so no (fossil) fuel is needed on the farms. The huge variety of crops and plants without the use of pesticides ensures biodiversity above and below ground. Birds, insects and microbiology have complete freedom.
Will you also choose avocados that make an impact this season? Contact your account manager for more information.