A PROCESS of almost nine months came to fruition, when Fruits Unlimited staff and the community of Smartietown in Paarl planted 204 indigenous trees with NGO Food Trees for Africa.
Says Fruits Unlimited MD, Riël Malan, “As an exporter of agricultural commodities, climate change is a great concern to us. We are already feeling the effect of an increas- ingly volatile climate on our business.
“We started with this project nine months ago, and it gives us great satisfaction to confidently say, that the carbon we generate as a business is neutralised through this project.”
“The methodology is being rolled out to our producers, packhouses and sister companies, to attempt to have the majority of our products and services carbon neutral by 2012.”
The process entailed a carbon audit to determine the Fruits Unlimited carbon footprint as set out by the guidelines set by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
These calculations were based on the financial year July 2006 to June 2007, and carbon emissions associated with all business related travel such as flights and rental car transport, as well as electricity, was measured - essentially all activities that generate carbon.
It was calculated that the carbon footprint for Fruits Unlimited could be offset by planting 204 trees through the Carbon Standard, a programme launched by greening and public benefit organisation Food & Trees for Africa (FTFA) in 2006.
The Carbon Standard makes it easy and affordable for individuals, corporations, brands, government agencies and more to measure and offset their carbon emissions by planting trees in poor and barren communities throughout South Africa.
FTFA selects sites for the planting of indigenous and fruit trees through its award winning Trees for Homes programme.
This programme provides many environmental and social benefits, as well as offsetting carbon emissions.
