Farming for the Future
HOW OUR FRESH PRODUCE CAN SAVE THE WORLD
Since 2009, Woolworths has been leading the field in regenerative farming. We’ve taken lessons from nature, combined them with the knowledge of our farmers and the research of our scientists.
We call it Farming for the Future.
It’s all about nurturing healthy soil, embracing biodiversity and promoting regenerative practices.
NOT JUST A PHILOSOPHY
Farming for the Future is not just a philosophy. We work with our farmers to embrace practical regenerative farming methods that are unique to the produce they grow, the climate and terroir of their farms, and the resources they have available.
Our biggest apple farmers make compost from alien plans with the aim of using less industrial fertilisers.
To create healthy soil, we need to feed it. By chopping up invasive plants to make compost the alien plants are now not taking up extra space, water and nutrients anymore, plus, by making our compost locally, we cut our carbon emissions in two ways. One, there’s no need to transport fertilisers and two, we don’t have to rely so heavily on petroleum-based fertilisers.
Our brussels sprout farmer works to increase organic matter in the soil, so less water and fertiliser are used.
The billions of living organisms that team up to break down compost for the soil are not visible to the naked eye. But they are powerhouses of efficiency that take on large organic matter, break it down and turn it into essential nutrients our plants need to grow: nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium. The plants get exactly what they need, and the soil, teeming with microbial life, can now absorb water more easily and retain it better, even through droughts. It’s also more capable of resisting erosion caused by floods
On our Citrusdal orange farms, we use bug wars to control harmful insects.
Biodiversity is everything! But when growing food, some insects like aphids can decimate an orchard. Instead of immediately turning to pesticides, we start a bug fight. Ladybirds love aphids. By harnessing nature we avoid spraying pesticides that kill ALL the bugs, including the ones we so desperately need for ecological services, like bees and other pollinators.
On our citrus farms, we use drones to identify plants under stress so we don’t overwater.
While much of regenerative farming practices are rooted in age-old practices, modern technology allows us to take great strides in more efficient farming. For instance, in big orchards, we use drones to identify individual trees that need water. Instead of watering all the trees all the time, the farmer can water only those who are thirsty, and manage this precious resource better.
We created our own wetland on one of our carrot farms to recycle wastewater, the way nature does.
Instead of letting contaminated wastewater from the packhouse return to the environment, we’ve created a wetland that filters the wastewater naturally. Then we redirect this water for irrigation. The irrigation system has been set up to ensure that only the carrots’ roots stay wet, and probes measure moisture to ensure that we don’t overwater. Protecting our environment AND saving water!