Boplaas 1743 Landgoed is the parent company of a wholly owned group of export fruit producing farms and agriculture-related enterprises located in the Western Cape region of South Africa. Boplaas Farm, which stands as a pioneer in this agribusiness, was established in 1743 in the Koue Bokkeveld near Ceres, approximately 200 km north-east of Cape Town. This farm has remained under the ownership of the Van der Merwe family since its inception. Renowned for producing world-class export apples and pears, it holds the distinction of being South Africa’s oldest family-owned business. With a heritage spanning ten generations of Van der Merwe farmers and entrepreneurs, Boplaas Farm embodies enduring success and upholds a legacy of knowledge and commitment on its picturesque, fertile terrain.
1 March 2019 marked a very special accomplishment for Boplaas 1743 Estate. As the oldest family business in South Africa, sustainability has always been their number one priority. In testimony to their belief in the future of South Africa and its agricultural sector, it was with great hope and excitement that Boplaas inaugurated their – and the continent’s – first floating solar plant on the farm, Marlenique, near Franschhoek. The total Solar in the company has since grown to close to 1MW. Boplaas Farm also uses various regenerative agriculture practices, like releasing beneficial insects and using more biological control. Furthermore, the farm also prioritises soil health and monitors soil carbon closely.
Boplaas has close to 1MW of Solar combined on two farms, and use it in combination with batteries and inverters. The electricity use on Marlenique is down by more than 80%.
Boplaas has trackers on most of the tractors and trucks in order to monitor fuel efficiency, and also keep track of every litre fuel used through the SmartFuel system.
The farm makes use of mulching where possible, in combination with cover crops.
Boplaas converts most new orchards to drip irrigation to save water, and also monitors water usage through their irrigation system and flow meters.
Boplaas recycles all waste at the greenhouse and packhouse facilities.
Boplaas has several organic fertilizer trial blocks and tries to reduce conventional fertilizer (NPK) where possible.
The farm has alien invasive clearing plans, and re-establishes indigenous trees and plants. Various cover crops also promote biodiversity in monoculture orchards.
Through this digital recognition platform, we celebrate the Carbon Heroes taking part in the Confronting Climate Change (CCC) Initiative for their considerable effort in calculating and understanding their carbon emissions.
Each Carbon Hero has their own digital QR code that can be displayed on their website and other marketing material, linking directly to their individual profile on the Carbon Heroes website.
The QR code provides a simple and innovative way for customers to learn about each Carbon Hero’s carbon offsetting and other sustainability initiatives, as well as engage with them on social media and other marketing channels.
With the Carbon Heroes QR code we aim to support a global transition towards sustainable development by recognising and celebrating the positive environmental impact of each Carbon Hero. By having a transparent display of their commitment to reducing emissions, Carbon Heroes demonstrate their dedication to a sustainable future, while building trust in their brand.
Find out more about the Carbon Heroes and CCC
Carbon Heroes is a recognition platform built on the ethos of transparency and trust. While only emissions datasets graded by Blue North qualify for the platform, we do not independently verify all the information our Heroes choose to post. By signing up to the platform each Carbon Hero acknowledges that they are responsible for the information they share and that, by sharing their sustainability credentials, their information is in the public domain and open to be scrutinised. We welcome such scrutiny. We have a clear set of guidelines for the use of the platform and the qualification for the various digital labels, and reserve the right to revoke the use of the platform where it is found these guidelines are not being followed and/or the information posted is misaligned with the stated ethos. Thank you for helping us maintain the integrity of the Carbon Heroes platform and our efforts to promote greater transparency and sustainability.
