Doornkraal Agri, based in South Africa, is a forward-thinking agricultural enterprise dedicated to sustainable farming practices. Specializing in high-quality crop production, Doornkraal Agri integrates advanced agricultural techniques with eco-friendly initiatives to minimize environmental impact. Committed to innovation and sustainability, the company strives to enhance food security while promoting carbon neutral farming methods to protect and preserve our planet for the future generations.
The CCC calculator is invaluable for us, as it helps accurately measure and track our carbon reduction progress, ensuring our sustainability efforts are both effective and transparent – Doornkraal Agri
Doornkraal Agri is actively reducing its carbon footprint by implementing solar energy solutions across their farming operations. By harnessing renewable solar power, Doornkraal Agri has significantly cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, reduced their reliance on fossil fuels, and promoted sustainable energy use.
Doornkraal Agri utilises renewable energy in the form of solar power in their packhouse. Regarding overall energy use, Doornkraal Agri currently operates with 24 Eskom points. These points are currently in the process of being consolidated to a single central point and Doornkraal Agri is installing a battery storage unit to enhance energy efficiency and sustainability. This implementation helps Doornkraal Agri reduce their dependence on non-renewable energy sources and contributes significantly to their sustainability goals.
Doornkraal Agri has implemented initiatives to optimize fuel use on the farm. Specifically, half of their fleet of spray pumps have been upgraded to a newer model that uses 41% less fuel compared to the previous spray pumps. This change has significantly reduced Doornkraal Agri’s fuel consumption and is part of the farm’s broader commitment to sustainability and efficiency in their operations.
One of Doornkraal Agri’s production units will be completely converted for composting and mulching practices. Additionally, the farm is aiming to introduce cover crops to promote soil health and reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers.
Doornkraal Agri has implemented several initiatives to optimize water use on the farm. The first initiative is netting; 25% of the farm’s hectares have been covered with netting, resulting in a 10% water saving. The second is drip irrigation, which is currently undergoing trials to improve water efficiency. The third initiative is automated irrigation, which has been for night irrigation, further reducing water usage. These initiatives have significantly contributed to more efficient water use and have had a positive impact on Doornkraal Agri’s overall water management strategy.
All corrugated carton waste generated from Doornkraal Agri’s packhouse is recycled. In conjunction with this, all employees are provided with training on recycling practices and what can be done to help conserve the environment. There is a dedicated team that sorts all household waste into recyclable (glass, tin, paper) and non-recyclable categories. These initiatives ensure that the farm manages both organic and inorganic waste responsibly and promotes sustainability within their operations.
Doornkraal Agri makes use of mulching and composting. The farm plans to change one of the production units entirely to mulching and composting. This will help enhance soil organic matter and improve soil structure. The farm further plans on conducting trials with cover crops to promote soil health, increase biodiversity, and reduce erosion. These regenerative agriculture practices are part of Doornkraal Agri’s commitment to sustainable farming and maintaining healthy soil for future generations.
Doornkraal Agri has identified two areas on the farm for environmental stewardship. There is exciting potential for the future and how these areas can evolve to support biodiversity. The farm utilises integrated pest management (IPM) practices to reduce the need for chemical pesticides, thereby protecting beneficial insects and promoting a balanced ecosystem.
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.
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. You are making a positive contribution to mitigating climate change!
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