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Johan Beckers

Andes Fruit

Hi, my name is Johan Beckers, founder and owner of Andes Expert. Together with a group of local farmer we grow organic physalis for Nature & More in Colombia.

I started Andes Fruit in 1999. From the outset it was important for me to supply natural and “clean” products free from substances that are unhealthy for the farm workers and consumers. As a result of this goal we were became the first Colombian supplier to receive the EUREPGAP certificate in 2012. Following a discussion with Eosta, we started focusing on organic, “social responsible” fruit.

Physalis are berries weighing between 4 – 6 grams with a very specific, aromatic taste. Physallis are very healthy berries because they contain a natural anti oxidant called Cryptoxanthine. Furthermore the berries have their own form of packaging in the form of delicate, almost translucent leaves. The fruit is eaten fresh like a cherry but it can also be used to make jam or juice. Another common name for Physalis is Cape Gooseberry.

Growing Physalis is very labour intensive. The physalis hedges grow on moist fields and the best results are achieved using mulching .. a very natural form of composting that keeps the soil moist and enriched through cover crops and organic waste material. Growing physalis organically means a more harmonious relationship with the environment. This natural balance respecting all forms of biodiversity is extremely important for us.

Interview with Johan Beckers of Andes Fruit

N&M: “Johan, how did you get involved in Physalis?”
Johan: “Firstly I love exotic fruits. Secondly the Colombian physalis is a wonderful and healthy product that can easily be grown without chemicals. Thirdly, I realized that there must be a market for these delicious fruits in Europe and the U.S.

N&M: “And what made you decide to switch to organic production?”
Johan: “Volkert Engelsman of Eosta convinced me that this step is very logical. More and more growers are now organic and things are going very well”

N&M: “What do you like most about your job?”
Johan: “Beeing a pioneer ! Falling and getting up, losing and not giving up, the constant challenges!”

N&M: “Johan, what makes your company so special?”
Johan: “We like to do things in an innovative way .. to do things differently .. we do not want to follow others. That gives us energy which is necessary because it is not always easy to get things done in this part of the world. We want to guarantee fair and safe working conditions. In this part of the world this is unfortunately not very common.

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soil

The physalis is grown on the hills of Colombia where the soil is made up of a sandy clay. We use certified organic manure and are using mulching techniques. This is a very natural form of composting that keeps the soil moist and enriched through cover crops and organic waste material. Furthermore it helps to prevent erosion.

biodiversity

Due to the simple, natural farming methods, the mulching and the hedgerows there is a lot of biodiversity in and around our physalis fields. We often see small mammals like weasels and possums. We also have a rich insect life including many beetles and butterflies. This in turn draws larger animals and birds (swallows, orioles and owls) to the area.

To ensure a natural look and feel, hedgerows of indigenous plant species have been planted around the fields.
With regard to the plant variety, it is called “Colombia” and is of course a non GMO. This specific, strong variety is ideal for this region and lends itself well for organic farming. Growing Physalis means small scale farming with lots of handwork and few machines.

society

We believe self development and education is very important and stimulate our employees to follow courses etc. Often this is done in the evenings and to support this we give them extra pay or provide them with rent free loans.
The Colombian population is mostly catholic. Around Christmas and Easter therefore we organize special masses in our warehouse. This is also important for our growers and often when we visit the growers in the small villages far from the beaten track, we also celebrate special masses with them.

Funds were used to improve the administration, which benefits all the growers!

All our employees have a contract and earn at least the basic wage or more. Furthermore we compensate travel costs. Working with Nature & More as a reliable steady partner helps us to develop the business in a sustainable way because it makes us less susceptible to large fluctuations in the market.

climate

To store and transport our fruits we need energy. We monitor this and strive to use it as efficiently as possible (for example by looking after our modern machines). Our goal is to have the lowest energy usage in the area. Regarding transport, we are now shipping our physalis by boat !

Seeing that the physalis is grown naturally and chemical free, there is little to no CO2 emissions during production. The composting process actually binds CO2 in the soil. Furthermore fire and cutting down trees is strictly prohibited.

water

There are lots of wells with fresh, clean water in this area. If necessary we also work with rainwater that is collected in specials basins. The quality is regularly tested and distributed to the hedges through drip irrigation

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