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‘Since 8.00 am, our organic avocados have saved 73,771 litres of water.’
This message was shown at 10.00 on the morning of Tuesday 16 March on a 3 x 5-metre ticker board during a guerrilla campaign at the Binnenhof, the Dutch parliament building.
Eosta had the impact on soil, water and climate (CO2) of all its sold products calculated. From today, the numbers are shared in live tickers on the Eosta and Nature & More websites.
The figures show that the organic method of producing fruit and vegetables provides clear sustainable advantages over conventional production.
Volkert Engelsman, managing director of the Eosta organic trading company, handed out organic avocadoes to passers-by to underline this message.
‘We make the figures public for consumers to make informed choices. Choose organic – the best choice,’ Volkert said.
It is generally known that the explosive increase in avocado consumption is causing water shortages in the countries of origin.
Choosing organic over conventional avocados saves 88 litres of water per kilo. Organic soils contain more organic carbon and therefore act like a sponge, saving up to 40% water.
In addition, the greater part of Eosta’s avocados come from growers in Kenya who mainly use rainwater, which is naturally much more sustainable compared with irrigation using surface water.
In 2020, Eosta sold nearly 3.5 million kilos of organic avocados. Compared with conventional avocados, this resulted in water savings of 126 Olympic-sized swimming pools full of drinking water, 260 trucks of fertile soil and 300 tons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.
The calculations were carried out by Soil & More Impacts, a German-based consultancy that specialises in ecological impact analysis. Soil & More Impacts works with calculation models from the FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization.
‘We will be happy to make counters for specific buyers, products and growers. Food retailers sometimes appear to be afraid of transparency, while there is absolutely no reason in this case. I challenge supermarkets to show consumers what choosing organic means for water, soil and climate.’
VOLKERT ENGELSMAN
Eosta CEO
The difference is caused by organic growers’ concern for the soil and their feel for life processes rather than chemicals.
Organic soil contains more organic carbon and have a better structure, causing them to act like a sponge that retains water.
It also provides biodiversity advantages, less pollution, improved carbon binding in the soil and less erosion and wash-out.
Since 01 January 2020, Eosta has saved around 40 million kg of soil, almost 5,000 tonnes of CO2 and 800 million litres of water in relation to the conventional alternative. The counter is running.
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