Wild oranges, a way of growing that does not destroy but builds

“We are finished if we do not abandon industrial agriculture,” Jane Goodall told us in this interview. Like this respected activist, many biologists and experts associate intensive agriculture with the destruction and exploitation of our natural ecosystems. But Hthere are other ways of cultivating, ways of doing things that not only do not destroy but rather buildwhich benefit biodiversity, the environment and society.

They know this well in the environmental organization WWF, which has partnered with the Sevillian company Iberhanse-Naturgreen, a pioneer in sustainable agriculture, to market oranges and mandarins grown in an environmentally friendly manner.

The result is “Wild Orange”, an innovative project in the cultivation and sale of sustainable citrus fruits with solidarity value. In the middle of the citrus campaign, it is a pleasure to discover projects like this: a way to support producers who want to change things, and who are committed to offering healthy food for people, the planet and wildlife.

Ecology at all levels

Oranges and mandarins from Naranja Salvaje are grown on the farms of producer families in the fertile plain of the Guadalquivir, in the province of Seville. They are grown organically, with the greatest respect for the land, the tree and the fruit, and turning the orchards into a haven of biodiversity.

For the cultivation of orange and mandarin trees, producers rely on natural allies and chemical-free products, for the health of all.

But organic farming does not only refer to pest control in a natural way, but also to efficient use of resources. In the orange groves, irrigation probes have been used that will save 20% of water and reduce energy consumption by 25%.

The choice of this geographical area is not accidental. Andalusia is the second citrus producing region after the Valencian Community in Spain. This project is proof that oranges can be grown in an ecological and respectful way with nature.

Biodiversity refuge

The oranges coexist with the autochthonous flora and fauna, seeking the balance of the ecosystem. In fact, the orange groves of the project now home to more than 75 species of animals, such as otters, foxes, badgers, ospreys, ocellated lizards, nightjars, owls and up to 26 species of ladybugs that help control pests in an ecological way. In addition, uncultivated areas have been preserved on each farm, to recover the boundaries and streams as long green corridors that favor native fauna.

Many have also been installed perches for birds of prey, nest boxes and insect ‘hotels’.

From the field to the table

The initiative goes even further and breaks barriers between the producer and the consumer. Oranges and mandarins are sold at a fair price for farmers and reach consumers freshly picked from the tree and with a packaging based on recycled materialswhich has the FSC forest certificate.

The collaboration agreement between both entities also allows the WWF project for sustainable food and care for the planet to be promoted, since part of the profits from each purchase are destined for this purpose.

Social and solidarity value

Behind this project works a family of real farmers, who take care of their orange groves with care and respect for nature and receive a fair price for their harvest. It is a way of farming that seeks to have a positive impact at all levels: on biodiversity, on the environment, and on the health and well-being of the entire society.