We at Platanera Río Sixaola strongly advocate a sustainable, fair and environmentally friendly agriculture.
We at Platanera Río Sixaola strongly advocate a sustainable, fair and environmentally friendly agriculture.
Through our banana cultivation we want to contribute to the healthy development of the people in the region.
"Leave it better than you found it" – our agriculture protects the natural resources and preserves the soil quality.
Long-standing experiments on testing areas nowadays allow us an almost complete renunciation of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Along with our partners we want to contribute to the sustainable development of the people and nature - also beyond the borders of our farm.
We are all inhabitants of the same small planet and should learn to live in peace and use the natural resources frugally. If resources on this earth are exhausted we won’t receive another one as a gift, and if people suffer from poverty and inadequate education it concerns us all - we are all children of this planet.
The focus of our priority list is not profit, but the ecologically clear conscience of our work at Platanera Río Sixaola. We want to produce first-class Sixaola Bananas, but their cultivation should consider all aspects of sustainability and environmental compatibility because we wish to promote a balanced agriculture.
Our Caribbean region of Costa Rica contains a rich and diverse nature, it is a place of life and flowering growth. In addition to the protection of the environment we also keep an eye on the needs of the people. Through our agriculture we want to encourage more fairness and social equity in the region.
The local community has welcomed us friendly and we return this friendliness with deep gratitude to the people that live here. And so we do our best for the people and nature:
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world"
Nelson Mandela
For our Sixaola Bananas and their consumers we spare no effort! The following texts give you further interesting facts about agriculture at Platanera Río Sixaola.
In the cultivation process we completely renounce the use of herbicides for the control of weeds and nematicides to kill threadworms. Ground-covering and partially deep-rooted mixed plants loosen the ground in the cultivated area and protect it against erosion as well as damages by high water. Moreover, water-bearing canals are strongly vegetated.
Chemical fertilizers are almost totally replaced by ecological alternatives, for example by the application of humus and approximately 180.000 liters of organic fertilizer per month from our own production.
In recent years the soil quality on our farm has improved constantly. Also in the future our soil will be the base for constant and high quality crop yields.
We guarantee every employee the same fair wage and employment policy as well as a social and health insurance, independent of gender, culture or nationality. We strictly exclude the collaboration with subcontractors.
Maternity protection and child benefits allow the reconciliation of family and work life. Women are also represented in executive positions at our farm.
Our daily teamwork is based on values like honesty, responsibility, respect, tolerance, dialog and empathy. Based on these values, the rights of our workers’ team are represented by a works council as well as an ethics and health committee.
The renunciation of herbicides and nematicides encourages biological diversity. Our ground is covered with many different plants and offers living space for various animal species.
However, next to the cultivation areas for bananas our farm also includes a natural lagoon, an extensively farmed forest (cf. picture), an untouched secondary forest as well as other richly vegetated parts. These different ecological compensation areas strengthen biodiversity even more.
Between November 2014 and February 2015 more than 300 different animal species were counted in a fauna inventory study on our farm. Since then we have regularly checked the ecological condition of our farm, monitoring certain species, so-called bioindicators.
We want to encourage a healthy development and equitable social relations in the region. We want our neighborhood to benefit from the cultivation of the Sixaola Banana!
In cooperation with a local primary school and a technical college we support pupils and students in their development and try to sensitize them at an early stage for themes like recycling, environmental protection and sustainability.
Projects for the reforestation and renaturation of water bodies also beyond our farmland are to contribute to the protection of the local environment in the future. Furthermore, our environmentally friendly approach to agriculture protects the health of our ecosystems just as much as those of our neighborhood.
Dank Solarpanelen decken wir den Großteil unseres Energiebedarfs durch eigene, regenerative Quellen. Von April 2014 bis März 2015 konnte für unsere Farm zudem eine positive Klimabilanz nachgewiesen werden. Seitdem wurden auf artenreichen Anbau- und Schutzflächen mehr als 650 Tonnen CO2-Äquivalent gespeichert. Auf unserer Finca wird mehr Kohlenstoff gebunden, als bei der Produktion unserer Bananen emittiert.
Zum Schutz natürlicher Wasserressourcen verwenden wir kein Oberflächen- oder fossiles Wasser. Bei der Waschung unserer Bananen konnten wir den Wasserverbrauch zwischen 2014 und 2015 um mehr als 52% reduzieren. Das Prozesswasser wird vollständig wiederaufbereitet und im Anschluss, in Kombination mit Regenwasser, für die Herstellung von Biodünger genutzt.
We have the aim to promote the skills of our team members through further trainings. For this purpose frequent courses on different themes like “control of diseases” or “labor rights” take place. Partially, they are carried out by external organizations.
If possible we involve all of our team members during audits and certifications to inform about the relevance of sustainable farming. Training and internship places support young people in their professional development.
Moreover, we offer educational programs to schools, universities and interested people from all over the world insights into our daily work and our green and familial Corporate Identity.
Today our Sixaola Bananas can grow sustainably because, for many years , we have been trying to develop environmentally friendly agricultural practices on testing areas that cover over 60 hectares.
Our medium-term goal is the transformation to a 100% biological production. Up to now, in the tropics this has been prevented by the fungus Black Sigatoka. However, we already use far less plant protection products against the disease than usual in the region. On 30 hectares of testing area we are the only farm in Costa Rica that already succeeds in the biologically certified banana cultivation.
In the following chapter you can find detailed information about the research work on our Platanera Río Sixaola, as well as further information about current projects with our partners.
"Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success."
Henry Ford
Nobody can manage to change or significantly improve the world just on his own. What we can do is limited to a more or less small sphere of influence. But even the smallest step has the potential to contribute to a major change and every action that is intended not to destroy but to heal benefits our planet.
In our small microcosm we have all opportunities at our fingertips to sustainably influence and change our labor conditions, teamwork, social surroundings and our environment. We just have to be determined and face these challenges!
At Platanera Río Sixaola sustainable development and the improvement of the living and environmental conditions result from productive teamwork. We are totally convinced of a concept of a constructive togetherness and cooperation in the name of the people and nature.
Side by side with charitable organizations, scientific institutes and other enterprises we are working on the further development and improvement of sustainable agriculture in the tropics.
Jointly with our partners we promote projects that are targeting research, environmental protection and educational work:
Next, we present you our partners as well as our current projects. The team of Platanera Río Sixaola is pleased about your interest!
Project-info: The fungal disease Black Sigatoka (cf. picture) can result in substantial yield losses and prevents the expansion of biological production of bananas in the tropics worldwide. Through a monitoring program and the individual control of our banana plants we were able to constantly reduce the usage of fungicides against the disease in the past.
Nowadays we already use less than 50% of plant protection products that are common in the region. We only apply normal plant protection if absolutely necessary. When doing so, we also consider the weather conditions to avoid its diffusion by wind or a leaching by rain.
Objective: In the medium-term total renunciation of fungicides – our banana varieties “Dátil” and “Gros Michel” already grow without any pesticides or chemical fertilizers on 30 hectares.
Reduced usage of insecticides: We are working on the reduced usage of insecticide bags through biologically certified alternatives that are impregnated with active organic substances as well as chili, garlic and sulfur (cf. picture). Insecticide bags are used in the tropical cultivation to meet the high import requirements of the European Union about the flawlessness of the banana peel.
Control of the banana beetle: In a joint research project with the Corporación Bananera Nacional (CORBANA) we are searching for opportunities of a monitoring and 100% biological control of the banana beetle that threatens banana plants worldwide and can lead to crop losses.
Promotion of selected varieties: With our trustful partner Piccoplant we promote the careful reproduction of our special banana varieties.
Analysis of soil profiles: In cooperation with CORBANA we are analyzing soil profiles (cf. picture) in different sections of the cultivation area with regard to soil type and texture as well as pH-value, and create fertilizer application maps for our farm to make it even more efficiently.
Soil study: Soil experts Neal Kinsey, York Bayer and Dietmar Näser conduct a study examining the quality of our soils with regards to nutrient deficits, work out recommendations for the fertilization of our farm and support us in the transformation to 100% biological agriculture.
Analysis of biological fertilizers: In an efficiency analysis the effect of our biological fertilizers is examined and improvement suggestions for the recipe are developed. The examination is accompanied by Prof. Dr. Ewald Sieverding, expert for Mycorrhiza.
Project-info: The river Sand box borders on our farm in the east and flows into the Sixaola. Together with students of the Technical College of Talamanca (CTPT) and the non-governmental organization ANAI we plant native tree species that partly are endangered by extinction to protect the banks of the river. The reforestation is made possible through the Costa Rican Institute for electricity (ICE) and its awesome donation of seedlings and about 2.400 seeds.
We also undertake waste disposal campaigns with our team, support ANAI in the monitoring of the water catchment area as well as the fish stocks (cf. picture) and integrate pupils of the Sand Box Primary School into the project through visits of the river.
Objective: Protection of the water catchment area of the Río Sand Box and regional educational work.
Forestation: We plant further native seedlings (some in the picture) that are partly threatened by extinction on different cultivation and protection areas with our team to continuously promote the diversity of plants and animals on our farm.
Renaturation of water bodies: In cooperation with ANAI we are searching for further possibilities for the protection of running waters in the cultivation area and the borders of our farm. The monitoring of fish stocks is also part of the project.
Recycling of waste: The charitable organization Corredor Biológico Talamanca Caribe (CBTC) - a member of the program Talamanca Reciclando por la Vida - helps us in the professional removal of waste. With CBTC we are also participating on pedagogical education work in the region.
Monitoring the fauna: Since November 2014, together with CBTC we have observed the ecological state of our farm, monitoring specific animal species, also called bioindicators. For 2016 a new fauna inventory study as well as a new monitoring program realized by FUNDECOR and the German Society for international Cooperation (GIZ) is planned. Here they also work with camera traps.
CO2 footprint: In cooperation with the international program 100% Carbon Neutral® und 100-SD we measure all active greenhouse gas emissions as well as the carbon balance for our Platanera Río Sixaola since March 2015.
H2O footprint: OSD Consultoría S.A. currently analyzes our balance of water usage, estimates the impacts of the cultivation on surrounding water bodies and points out new possibilities for water protection.
Project-info: Currently we realize an overall status quo analysis with the SMART Tool of the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture (FiBL) as our competent partner. The SMART Tool aims at an integrated evaluation and optimization regarding business sustainability of agricultural holdings in the whole world and is based on the SAFA Sustainability Guidelines of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
As the first banana farm worldwide, we have commissioned this objective analysis that assesses our company in the categories “good corporate management”, “ecological integrity”, “economic resilience” and “social welfare”. The final report we be published here promptly.
Objective: Make synergies and weaknesses of our farming more transparent.
Making sustainable development a part of professional training (INEBB): Within the model project INEBB the Bundesvereinigung Nachhaltigkeit e.V. (BVNG) and the Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB) develop a continuing education for the retail, wholesale and foreign trade that is based on the sustainable supply chain of Sixaola Bananas.
Water and carbon footprint: The World Banana Forum of the United Nations (WBF) analyses our extraordinary performance with regard to climate and water protection in order to develop training material and make this knowledge available to others. The analysis is coordinated by the organization Gestarse.
Evaluation of production criteria: On the basis of our cultivation experience the business platform Biodiversity Partnership Mesoamerica (BPM) evaluates new production criteria for agricultural enterprises.
We from Platanera Río Sixaola are old hands in the field of nature conservation. For more than a quarter of a century we have put our hearts and our passion into producing environmentally friendly and entirely beneficial for our environment.
In this respect, it is a great side effect that chemicals are expensive. We save money through the renunciation or the strongly reduced usage of fertilizers and plant protection products. Everything that ends up in the piggy bank, we use for improvements – that’s how sustainable reinvestment works.
Engagement for nature and the improvement of working conditions in the tropical banana cultivation are two key elements of our work:
"Everything can always be done better than it is being done.“
Henry Ford
The real challenge of our work consists in going beyond the limits that the external circumstances impose on us. The low price policy for bananas jeopardizes not only us, but producers worldwide. It sounds insane, but in supermarkets tropical bananas are often offered at cheaper prices than fruits obtained from regional production.
We do our very best to overcome these limits and to stand up for highest quality, social justice and ecological responsibility. We accept the resulting costs in the name of nature and the community we live in.
Platanera Río Sixaola guarantees your relish, the protection of the environment and the further development of the region. Because with the sustainable cultivation of our sunny smiling Sixaola Bananas we successfully combat the main shortcomings of the banana cultivation in the tropics.
The increasing awareness of sustainability issues among consumers as well as internationally arranged production standards require more social and ecological fairness in the banana cultivation. Simultaneously, producers, next to financial resources, frequently lack the necessary knowledge to meet the increasing requirements of such a production.
At the beginning of the year 2016 we reached a top result of 98% in the Rainforest Alliance certification through the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) – no banana farm has ever rated better.
Through the expansive and land-intensive banana cultivation in monocultures, banana producing regions have to risk partially drastic impacts on biodiversity. In addition these often structurally weak regions also see themselves confronted with social problems as it recently has been revealed by Oxfam Germany in the study “sweet fruit, bitter truth”.
Because of the massively reduced usage of chemicals and various protection areas our farm is characterized by a rich and intact flora and fauna. Furthermore, we stand up for a fair employment policy, responsible cooperation and social commitment.
Diseases like the Black Sigatoka are fostered by the monocultural cultivation in warm and humid climate zones. Although it is possible to control them with plant protection products the diseases increasingly develop resistances against the products. For the control of diseases and plagues it is necessary to use more and more pesticides, in many cases also as a preventive measure.
With regard to the Black Sigatoka, we apply less than 50% of plant protection products than usual in the region. On 30 hectares of testing area we successfully renounce any plant protection products and chemical fertilizers.
Decades of profit orientated banana cultivation can partly degrade soils (cf. picture) so that an economical management of a farm is only possible by means of the extensive use of chemical fertilizers. The natural function of soils as the foundation of life gets lost. Only a few plants and animals can survive under these extreme conditions.
As a result of our environmentally friendly cultivation we were able to constantly improve the soil quality on our farm over the past years. Also in the coming years our soils provide the basis for the growth of the Sixaola Banana!
