Jan Bernard

Jan Bernard

ProNatur

Hi, I'm Jan Bernard of ProNatur. Together with many growers and workers we cultivate coffee and exotic fruits such as maracuja and granadilla in the jungle and the coastal area of Peru. All our products are organic or Demeter certified. ProNatur is originally an association of individual landowners who have organized themselves to pool their resources in order to afford technical assistance and gain access to the export market. The association was founded in 1996 in the tropical highlands of the Peruvian rainforest around the town of Moyobamba. We now also have two large farms in the coastal area where we cultivate many kinds of fruits in a dry subtropical forest environment.

Today more than 1,000 families participate in the organization and actively cultivate just over 3,300 ha of coffee, mango, limes and other fruits, together with crops such as beans peas, bananas, asparagus and more. The coffee farmers also care for approximately 50,000 ha of (mainly endangered) Amazon rainforest.

Our fruit farms are located west from the Andes in an area of dry tropical forest and have Demeter certification. About 100 people work here, including their families they form a community of 600 people. We create our own high quality aerated compost to feed the soil. Several herds of goats provide the manure to go into the compost. Additionaly the native acacia trees provide nitrogen to soil by fixating nitrogen from the air in their roots. These trees have very deep roots and can survive without rainfall for 9 years! We have to keep the goats away from the young trees so they can grow high enough, so the goats can't reach the top leaves anymore. We have our own doctor on each farm to provide medical care to our employees and we also have schooling projects. Some years ago we also started two processing plants to make juices and pulp with the fruit or freeze them as IQF; in this way we create more security and financial stability for everybody involved.

The coffee is a different kind of cultivation. The average plot size of coffee farms is usually between 2 and 5 ha, depending on the number of family members. They are located in remote areas in the northern highlands of Peru. Some of them are farmed by recently established migrant families from the higher, impoverished Andean regions, others by local people, and some by small groups of descendants of Aguaruna and Huambisa (the original native people of this Amazon region) who are slowly but progressively integrated - socially as well as economically. The majority of the plots are in the Altomayo region, on both banks of the Mayo river, and on the eastern slopes of the mighty Marañón at an altitude of 1300 to 2000 m above sea level. These rivers wind their way through the fertile, high lying rain forest of the upper reaches of the Amazon basin in Peru, famous for its biodiversity. However, due to the fragility of these fertile soils they need to be protected from heavy rains to prevent them from eroding.

Therefore each family receives assistance to improve their agricultural practices and learn about agro-ecological concepts to preserve the delicate balance of this eco-system. The continuous presence of agronomists specialized in agro-ecology, sociologists and technicians, all of them dedicated to developing sustainable agro-ecosystems, are helping to introduce new concepts of efficiency, product quality and environmental responsibility in the area.

The families are individually responsible to cultivate their land, but have agreed to follow organic principles which comply with the regulation of various European and U.S. certifiers, such as Bio-Suisse, Naturland, USDA-NOP. An internal control organization is responsible to ensure that their standards are fulfilled and that the necessary certification requirements are adhered to.

ProNatur has succeeded in improving and assuring incomes to its members and their communities through efficient and transparent methods of production and marketing.

Interview with Jan Bernard

N&M: What motivated you to start an organic project in this remote region of Peru?
Jan Bernhard: Given the fragility of our eco-system and the wealth it offers in terms of bio-diversity, ecological (organic) farming was the only option. We had seen the detrimental effects of the "Green Revolution" in other regions of Peru, which had been settled much earlier. And when the first signs of deterioration were evident in our region, we felt that we had to do something in order to secure our livelihood. Ecological farming is based on the principles of soil fertility, bio-diversity and making use of local resources
All that suited us well, since we needed to preserve our soils and bio-diversity. Since we could not afford any external inputs, we had to become creative with what we had at hand.

N&M: Can you give an example?
Jan: We used simple techniques such as mulch and compost to prevent erosion and the leaching of nutrients from the soil. Careful, well-balanced pruning avoids the rapid aging of trees and provides optimum conditions for understorey plants such as the typical coffee varieties of this region. The extraordinarily wide variety of old-growth shade trees is not only important for migratory birds who winter in this region. They form an extensive canopy for the traditional varieties of coffee, which require shade to do well. By preserving them, we were able to overcome the ill effects of traditional slash-and-burn agriculture. Instead of relying on foods brought in from far away markets, we encouraged our people to cultivate more crops such as beans, peas, cassava, bananas, etc. to supplement their dietary needs while maintaining a greater diversity at the same time.

N&M: Are these crops all well suited to be grown in this area?
Jan: Yes. The beans, for example, belong to the Phaseolus and Vigna genera and are considered wild. Their cultivation over a period of 3,000 years has allowed them to adapt well to this arid region. They provide people with essential protein and are an important source of vitamin B1. Cassava originated in Brazil, but has been cultivated here for hundreds of years. It is an important source of carbohydrates and forms part of most meals.

N&M: It sounds as if Pronatur is more a development project, rather than a business?
Jan: Actually, it is a cooperative business venture with a strong development aspect. Everything we have done is the result of commitment and hard work of the people participating in Pronatur. Due to our ecological practices and our democratic organization we qualified for organic certification, which allowed us to achieve a better price for the crops we export to Europe and the U.S. But without these markets this development would not have been possible.

N&M: Have you received any assistance from aid organizations to make all this development possible?
Jan: No. Everything Pronatur stands for today is the result of our own resources.

N&M: Given the size of your organization there must have been quite some logistical challenges. Can you describe some?
Jan: Getting everybody lined up for certification may have been the most difficult aspect of all. That required that everybody understand the importance of adhering to a set of pre-established standards. Although traditional agricultural practices were well in line with organic practices, we still had a lot of explaining to do, particularly in terms of basic pruning practices and erosion control. But once people realized that adhering to somewhat stricter standards resulted in better crops this work became easier. Nevertheless we have a full time team of agronomists which assists our members wherever necessary. In order to obtain organic certification we had to develop an internal control system to document our agricultural practices so that these could be verified by the respective certification organizations. All that created a lot of paperwork which we were not used to and nobody likes to do. But we did it. With our growers being spread out over quite a large area, which is difficult to reach by road, we also had to overcome the issue of transportation. Rather than do it all ourselves, we cooperate with small existing companies which move our products to Chiclayo from where they get shipped to their final destination.

N&M: What are your hopes for the future?
Jan: I think it is important that consumers realize that they can have an effect in world affairs, despite all the negative press on globalization. I would like to see many more projects such as Pronatur receive the active support of consumers worldwide. That way, globalization can be seen in a positive way, because it enables people in other parts of the world to share the wealth and live in dignity

Tabs

soil

Soil is arguably one of the earth’s most important – yet often neglected – natural resources. It is essential for life on earth because it nurtures plants, which in turn provide food and oxygen for humans and animals. A healthy soil is the basis for any sustainable development in agriculture and, managed in the right way serves as a remarkable solution to various environmental threats such as water scarcity, climate change, food security.

Although the soil in the coffee growing part of Peru is extremely fertile, heavy rainstorms can erode away the nutrient rich soils and as a consequence the soil needs to be protected. In the fruit cultivation on the coast, the soil is often quite poor and needs to be with good quality compost. The compost is created on farm, using a good mix of inputs including the manure of local goat herds. Jan Bernard explains: “We use simple techniques such as adding mulch and compost to prevent erosion and the leaching of nutrients from the soil”.

Other benefits of adding compost and mulch include:

• Recycling waste products
• Improving the soil structure & fertility
• Suppressing diseases, providing plants and soil with important nutrients
• Increasing pest tolerance
• Gradually bringing back the natural balance of the eco-system
• Reducing water usage through improvement of water holding capacity by 50%
• Creating employment and economic development
• Reducing (ground)water pollution

biodiversity

ProNatur mangoes are grown in a dry sub-tropical climate in northern Peru. Jan Bernard: “Given the fragility of our eco-system and the wealth it offers in terms of bio-diversity, ecological (organic) farming was the only option. Ecological farming is based on the principles of soil fertility, bio-diversity and making use of local resources. All that suited us well, since we needed to preserve our soils and bio-diversity. Since we could not afford any external inputs, we had to become creative with what we had at hand”.

Biodiversity is defined by the Britannica concise Encyclopedia as “Quantity of plant and animal species found in a given environment. Sometimes habitat diversity (the variety of places where organisms live) and genetic diversity (the variety of traits expressed within a species) are also considered types of biodiversity. The estimated 3 – 30 million species on Earth are divided unequally among the world's habitats, with 50 – 90% of the world's species living in tropical regions. The more diverse a habitat, the better chance it has of surviving a change or threat to it, because it is more likely to be able to make a balancing adjustment”

Since the habitat of animal and birds are the trees and plants around them, there is an intrical link between the two. For example the extraordinarily wide variety of old-growth shade trees in this part of the world is extremely important for migratory birds who winter in this region Therefore these living creatures also directly benefit from ProNatur’s Agroforestry Plan which includes 1. use of endemic and introduced species as part of the existing biodiversity 2. associative planting 3. conservation of flora.

Families working with ProNatur not only receive assistance to improve their agricultural practices but just as importantly learn about agro-ecological concepts to preserve the delicate balance of this eco-system. The continuous presence of agronomists specialized in agro-ecology, sociologists and technicians, all of them dedicated to developing sustainable agro-ecosystems, are helping to introduce new concepts of efficiency, product quality and environmental responsibility in the area.

At ProNatur ecology and economy go hand in hand. For example, the extraordinarily wide variety of old-growth shade trees is not only important for migratory birds who winter in this region. They form an extensive canopy for the traditional varieties of coffee (also grown by ProNatur farmers), which require shade to do well. Jan Bernard “by preserving them, we were able to overcome the ill effects of traditional slash-and-burn agriculture. Furthermore, instead of relying on foods brought in from far away markets, we encouraged our people to cultivate more crops such as beans, peas, cassava, bananas, etc. to supplement their dietary needs while maintaining a greater diversity at the same time”.

society

Individual development and empowerment leads to freedom which is the basis for all progress. Education and training lies at the basis of this empowerment. Through the alliance between APTT (Mango and Banana Growers Small Farmers' Association of Tongorrape) and ProNatur, periodical instruction courses are organized: soil and crop management, pest and disease control in mangoes as well as bananas are discussed and demonstrated, and the necessary organic preparations are supplied to the growers. On the two fruit farms on the coast side of the mountains, ProNatur has build two schools and provides education and good quality medical care for the workers and their families.

Justice was one of the main underlying principles of setting up ProNatur. Before the Association existed, small producers had to sell their fruit to intermediaries for large exporters who often paid very low prices for their produce-and sometimes did not pay at all. In March 1999, a group of growers decided to get organized and founded the Mango and Banana Growers Small Farmers' Association of Tongorrape APTT; in alliance with PRONATUR (Promoter of Natural Agriculture), they are now working together to attain higher proficiency in concepts of organic production (IMO Control certification, USDA/NOP, Globalgap, RA and FT), with an aim to protect their surroundings and also to receive better prices for their produce; PRONATUR is their exclusive export channel for access to international markets. They also decided to join the basis organization APROECO (Ecological Producers' Association) which groups together organic coffee producing smallholders from the lower and Upper Amazon region of Peru.

Taking care of surroundings means higher quality of life; the growers prepare compost for fertilizing purposes, and each farm has a deep pit for inorganic waste disposal. Through the alliance with PRONATUR, periodical instruction courses are organized: soil and crop management, pest and disease control in mangoes as well as bananas are discussed and demonstrated, and the necessary organic preparations are supplied to the growers.

climate

Organic cultivation of fruit in a fertile region like Northern Peru demands litte energy, because most of the work is done by the growers, by hand. In the dry season however, the growers of Tongorrape need to apply irrigation: the water is drawn from ground wells by water pumps. In the beginning these pumps were driven by diesel engines, which was expensive and bad for CO2-emissions. Electricity was not available. Therefore, ProNature first set up a project to provide all growers in this remote area with electricity, a couple of years ago. Since then, the energy source for irrigation is a lot cleaner. Recently however, ProNatur is taking sustainable energy to the next level: in several places solar panels have been installed to deliver the electricity for the water pumps. Irrigation during the dry season is now solar powered!

Being an association of organic growers, ProNatur applies several techniques that have a beneficial effect on greenhouse gas emissions and climate change mitigation. The use of compost and mulch reduces methane emissions from and increases carbon sequestration in the soil. The growers do not use artificial fertilizers and pesticides, nor do they use a lot of fossil fuel in general. Al this means that emissions of the greenhouse gasses CO2, CH4 and N2O are very limited.

water

The majority of the ProNatur coffee plots are in the Altomayo region, on both banks of the Mayo river, and on the eastern slopes of the mighty Marañón at an altitude of 1300 to 2000 m above sea level. These rivers wind their way through the fertile, high lying rain forest of the upper reaches of the Amazon basin in Peru, famous for its biodiversity. However, due to the fragility of these fertile soils they need to be protected from heavy rains to prevent them from eroding.

On the west side of the mountains however, it is a different situation. Jan Bernard: “The growers of Tongorrape use irrigation by channelling river water in summertime and in the rainy season - if it is available; but there is a period when superficial irrigation water is very scarce or non existent, and the alternative is to use subsoil, or well water. Nevertheless since there is no electricity available in the region, water has to be pumped by stationary diesel engines: high prices for fuel make this very expensive. This is why a rural electrification project has been executed and finalized after 4 years of work and investment. Electricity is now available for pumping water, thereby providing water to all the population, and for crops”.

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