Brazil Promotes Sustainable Citriculture

Ernie Neff Brazil

Citriculture

The citrus organization Fundecitrus recently announced a voluntary initiative by citrus growers and the orange juice industry in the São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt of Brazil. The initiative is called Sustainable Citriculture.

Fundecitrus President Lourival Carmo Monaco said the citrus sector has already been adopting sustainable standards to be in compliance with rigorous Brazilian commercial, labor and environmental laws. Adopting those standards allows the Brazilian industry to fully meet the requirements of foreign markets that consume orange juice from Brazil. “Sustainable Citriculture aims to put good agricultural practices in place and support small and mid-size citrus growers,” said Monaco.

Sustainable Citriculture has consolidated partnerships with several institutions that share the same values defended by the initiative. The effort includes the launch of a documentary series called Water. The series utilizes sources in the scientific community and stories from small and mid-size growers to address the strategic and economic importance of water. The series tells how the citrus sector contributes to environmental protection by maintaining native trees, reforesting citrus groves, collaborating for soil conservation and other methods.

Sustainable Citriculture plans to make information available to workers in the field regarding topics such as phytosanitary control and yield, quality and longevity of groves, and environmental concerns such as biodiversity in groves.

The São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt is located in the southeastern region of Brazil. Fundecitrus stated that for every five glasses of orange juice consumed worldwide, three come from Brazil.

Source: Fundecitrus

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