Sustainability rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.(*)

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE INTEGRATES THREE MAIN GOALS: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, ECONOMIC PROFITABILITY, AND SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC EQUITY.

Therefore, stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance. Stewardship of human resources includes consideration of social responsibilities such as working and living conditions of laborers, the needs of rural communities, and consumer health and safety both in the present and the future. Stewardship of land and natural resources involves maintaining or enhancing this vital resource base for the long term.

(*)United Nation Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development.

(**)University of California Davis. Agricultural Sustainability Institute.

Objectives of private enterprises and actors involved in development cooperation often overlap. The develoPPP.de program was set up by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to foster the involvement of the private sector at the point where business opportunities and development policy initiatives intersect. The project “Strengthening of sustainable agricultural practices on banana plantations in Costa Rica and Ecuador” is carried out by Cobana Fruchtring and German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). La Nueva Pubenza has been invited to participate in this project together with other farms from Ecuador and Costa Rica. For more information about this project: http://www.cobana-fruchtring.de/2015EN/qm_giz.html

ECONOMIC PROFITABILITY

La Nueva Pubenza is a member of “Corporacion Nacional de Productores de Banano” (AGROBAN). As a member of AGROBAN we have a detailed benchmark of cost and production process. As of December 2016 we had a production of 3,217 boxes of export quality banana per net hectares of banana production. This puts our farm as one of the highest productivity banana farms in the province and in the top tier of banana farms in Ecuador.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

We comply with “Sustainable Agriculture Network” and environmental local laws and regulations. Last year we pioneered the establishment of tree barriers to protect the surroundings from drift from aerial spraying of sigatoka control. We planted 4.25 hectares of Guayacan Tree all along the border of the highway next to the farm. More than 6,000 trees are plotted in the top of our drainage main and secondary channels. With this natural barriers we have substantially if not completed avoided that fungicides get into water system. A completed enclosed water management allows us to recycle 100% of our irrigation and packing water. We have been able to irrigate almost 60% of total weekly requirement of banana plantation with recycled water.

At La Nueva Pubenza we have a zero waste food Policy. We process all of our fruit with a high level of quality control thus obtaining a low amount of rejected fruit. The fruit that does not qualifies for as export quality, so-called rejected fruit, is process as fingers bananas for small shops locally. Fruit left after this selection, is sold to a banana puree plant.

Since last year we changed our Sigatoka control Protocol. From using fungicides and agricultural oil. We went with protectants and water. We had 19 cycles of aerial control.

Also we incorporated mechanical undergrowth control with a significant reduction of herbicides.

La Nueva Pubenza has Rain Forest Alliance and Global Gap certifications.

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC EQUITY

In La Nueva Pubenza we comply with all laws of regulations of the country. Each and every worker has a work contract and is affiliated to the national insurance system. We have a detail safety and health prevention job description that is matched with a training and awareness program.

Medical Prevention Center at the farm with a Doctor and a nurse. At this center we have a program for prevention medicine for the workers and their families.

We have an on site supermarket. It fulfills our worker food and supplies needs at a low price. Workers wife’s can order via cellular messages or with an order form. We have achieved a high percentage of workers expenditure in food for the family.

LA NUEVA PUBENZA MAIN INDICATORS IN SUSTAINABILITY

At La Nueva Pubenza we have defined indicators to gauge and benchmark each of sustainability principles. That is Environmental Health, Social and Economic Equity and Economic Profitability. La Nueva indicators should reflect over time measurable results of our commitment to produce sustainable bananas. We present our current data in order to satisfy one of the most important factor in sustainability, that is transparency. With our partners we are working on establishing ranges for each indicator. Once goals are set, we will have an independent auditor verifying our data. Los indicadores de La Nueva deberán de reflejar en el tiempo resultados medibles de nuestro compromiso de producir bananos sosteniblemente. Presentamos nuestros datos actuales para satisfacer uno de los factores más importantes de la sostenibilidad, la transparencia. Estamos trabajando con nuestros socios para establecer rangos para cada uno de los indicadores. Una vez que los objetivos se establezcan, tendremos un auditor independiente que verifique nuestros datos.

Flora & Fauna

For us at La Nueva Pubenza is of the outmost importance the diversity and protection of our flora and fauna. Our trademark and proud member of our family is our hummingbird colony.

Flora

Fauna

Our tree barriers have provoked a healthy fauna, especially of birds, Iguanas and frogs.

Hummingbirds, are a big part of our family.