BSR Insight | Native Organic Products Head Leontino Balbo Jr. on Large-Scale Organic Farming
About the Author(s)
Kimberly Murphy, Former Conference and Special Projects Manager
Publication Date
September 4, 2012
Share
During a recent interview, BSR Conference 2012 plenary speaker Leontino Balbo Jr., executive vice president of Brazil's Native Organic Products, discussed how his organic food and beverage company became the world's largest organic sugarcane producer.
In 1995, Native converted its sugarcane fields into an organic production system, eliminating all chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and restoring biodiversity. Now, he brags, "We have four species of Brazilian big cats fighting over territory in our organic cane fields!"
"The technological package of conventional agriculture is not delivering what it promised: Yield has not increased, and, meanwhile, environmental problems and health issues are accumulating. At Native, our production system achieves 20 percent higher productivity than conventional sugar cane production, with genuine concern for environmental, social, and economic factors. It is the first time that an organic, large-scale initiative has produced a higher yield than conventional agriculture!"
—Leontino Balbo Jr., in an interview with Danone, June 28, 2012
To hear more from Balbo—and other sustainability leaders—register for the BSR Conference 2012.
About the Author(s)
Kimberly Murphy, Former Conference and Special Projects Manager
Topics
Related Content
Sustainable Investment in China article: As Environmental Protests Increase, New Implications for Business and Investment
BSR Insight: Sustainable Procurement in Practice: AT&T, Best Buy, and Dell
Share Your Thoughts
Please note, all comments are subject to moderation.