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Adolfo Arias

Cultivos Orgánicos

Hi, I’m Adolfo Arias and I grow organic mandarins for Nature & More. My company is called Cultivos Orgánicos. Thank you for buying our fruit!

We are based in Peru around 100 km to the north of the capital city Lima. Thanks to the Huara river and the Santa Rosa irrigation project which was set up in the late 60’s, this valley is now a rich agricultural region. To me organic agriculture means working with nature. Plants and trees are living organisms just like human beings: they tell you what they need, all you need to do is able to know how to understand them.

We grow a number of varieties of mandarins: Satsuma Okitsu, a big local favourite. Then we have the Satsuma Owari, which has great colour and taste. We also grow the Malvasio variety that has a lot of seeds but has a great taste. Furthermore we grow Minneola’s, a cross between a grapefruit and a mandarin, and avocado’s.

Here at Cultivos Orgánicos, we employ 40 permanent workers and during the season an additional 60. The workers come from other parts of Peru including the mountains and jungle.

How ‘bout taste?

Adolfo’s Satsuma mandarins are very sweet and very tasty; they have a higher solid content than conventional Satsuma’s, which means more taste (if you want to know exactly: BRIX 10 instead of 8,5).

Interview with Adolfo

Nature & More: How did you start with organic farming ?
Adolfo: To be honest, it was my father who took the first steps down the organic path. In the late eighties he became suspicious of all the chemicals he was spraying onto his fruit and no longer wanted to feed his family with such products. As a consequence he stopped using them.

Nature & More: What happened next?
Adolfo: I took over the farm in 2003 and during that period did a lot of research on different agricultural methods. I was convinced that my father’s choice was the right one, however, we did have significant problems with insects and pests. In 2004 we started introducing natural predators (other insects that eat the bad ones !) and slowly became an organic farm without official certification. We were one of the first in Peru so we had to basically invent the wheel ourselves. We got the hang of things and were pleased with the progress so a few years later we started “officially” converting to organic agriculture. Since 2010 we are officially organic and selling our delicious fruits to customers in Europe.

Nature & More: What Fruits do you grow ?
Adolfo: We grow a number of varieties of mandarins including Satsuma Okitsu an early variety with a thin skin and no seeds (a big local favourite). Then we have the Satsuma Owari which has a great colour and taste. We also grow the malvasio variety which, despite the seeds is my personal favourite. Furthermore we grow Minneola (a cross between a grapefruit and a mandarin) and Hass and Fuerte avocados.

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Bodem

The farm is organic, so no fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides are used. As a result, the soil is very rich in biodiversity. Adolfo takes special measures to keep the soil healthy: he purchased a compost turning machine so he can make good compost. Adolfo: “We are using clippings from the trees, cow manure, clay and guano to produce our compost. Guano is basically manure from the seabirds we have here in Peru.”

The positive effects of composting are numerous. Soil water management is improved, with better drainage and reduced erosion and runoff. As a result the soil is more resistant to drought or flooding. Biodiversity is greatly improved. Soil-borne diseases are suppressed. More organic matter is stored in the soil, that compensates for greenhouse gas emissions. In short, good composting brings fertility.

Biodiversiteit

The orchards of Cultivos Orgánicos are full of animal and bird life. Recently over 100 different species were counted on Adolfo’s property, including the wonderful hummingbird. The organic practices used by Bettina and Enrique support natural biodiversity. Insecticide-free farming is beneficial for honey bees and other insects. Using compost increases the number of micro-organisms, earthworms, spiders and all kinds of insects in the soil. Birds, bats and small mammals profit from this too!

Adolfo: “I compare my own body to the trees: if I live naturally, I notice this makes me stronger and healthier. Similarly, we are seeing that when the trees learn to fend for themselves and have enough water and nutrients, they are able to handle pests and insects that come along”. Adolfo’s orchards are organic, so certified free of GMO. Organic farming produces healthy plants without pesticide residues. The organic approach is also beneficial to natural biodiversity.

individu

Adolfo: “We try and help others and teach them about what we are doing at Cultivos Orgánicos. Here in Peru it is common that farmers visit each other to learn about new agricultural methods. We always tell them about the positive experiences we have with organic agriculture and hope to inspire others to follow suit.”

The workers at Cultivos Orgánicos are migrant workers that travel to this valley from the Andes mountains and the Amazon jungle. Some of them receive a permanent contract and decide to settle close to the farm. All the workers receive at least the minimum wage. Adolfo employs both men and women: “We see that woman are far better at sorting the fruits: they are much more careful. The men are taking care of the heavy manual tasks”.

maatschappij

The workers at Cultivos Orgánicos are migrant workers that travel to this valley from the Andes mountains and the Amazon jungle. Some of them receive a permanent contract and decide to settle close to the farm. All the workers receive at least the minimum wage. Adolfo employs both men and women: “We see that woman are far better at sorting the fruits: they are much more careful. The men are taking care of the heavy manual tasks”.

economie

This region was a desert area less than 70 years ago. A small town, La Villa, has been established and is steadily developing. Since a lot of work on the plantations is seasonal, the population of La Villa fluctuates immensely and as a consequence it did not invest in infrastructure, schooling, health clinics etc. Through the “1 Cent for the Future” project, Cultivos Orgánicos will now be raising funds to establish a small health clinic in La Villa. € 0,01 for each kg of fruit sold will go towards equipping the clinic with the necessary medical equipment.

Klimaat

The climate impact of Adolfo’s operations is limited, because of the limited energy use. Adolfo: "We are always doing our best to we lower our climate impact. An example: our tractors are the smallest possible models that can handle the job. Although people now and then laugh at us, we are very happy with this choice.

In a country like Peru the sun still does most of the work. The fruits are certified organic, so no chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides are used, which saves a lot of energy. In conventional farming, these inputs are responsible for major energy use; up to 80% of the total. Obviously some energy is used in the cooling and sorting station. Adolfo is working to get green energy from the hydro electric plant in the valley. The fruit is transported to Europe by ship, which is the most energy efficient transport method.

Water

The Santa Rosa irrigation project was established in the late sixties to change this valley from a dry desolated place to a rich agricultural region. Irrigation uses quite a bit of water in this dry and sunny climate, but the water source is abundant and replaceable: it comes from the Andes mountains. The irrigation system is a micro sprinkler system: it is more economic with water than a normal sprinkler.

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