Certification of Good Agricultural Practices (BAP by its acronym in Spanish) Yantza Farm – PermaTree
Yantza Farm – PermaTree obtained the Certificate of Good Agricultural Practices (BPA) from the Ministry of Agriculture with the register Nr. EC-Z-05-53-PA-G-2019-067 for the following crops: Soursop (Annona Muricata L), Guineo Ceda, Ilex Guayusa and Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Friday, October 4, 2019.
Good Agricultural Practices or BPAs according to the Ministry of Agriculture “They are a set of principles, standards and technical recommendations applicable to the production, processing and transport of food” with the aim of improving food quality, in order to improve the health of families who consume these foods, take care of the environment and improve the quality of life of workers and their families.
BPAs are important because people are more interested in the traceability and transparency of the origin of their food.
Among the main problems of not having BPA is that food produced may contain residues of agrochemicals, such as herbicides or insecticides, can carry diseases or pests that have some negative effect on the consumers of these foods Contaminated. Unsure of the provenance of our food, farmers will sell fewer products and their income will be reduced.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, there are 3 fundamental pillars of BPAs:
- Food safety: Ensure that food is free from physical, chemical and biological hazards.
- Quality and environmental management: Ensure the care of water, soil, native plant species, beneficial insects and natural sweeps.
- Occupational safety: To seek the health of farmers, the proper use of protective tools and equipment, training on the importance of their work in the field.
Why be BPA?
By being BPA certificated we can obtain better quality and healthier products for consumers, it guarantees the health and well-being of workers. Children from working families can go to school, production becomes sustainable over time and you have the opportunity to reach more competitive markets.
You can also have better control over the production of the farms. With better quality food yields are improved, farmers can improve their income, improving their quality of life.
Steps to obtain BPA
- History of the agricultural production unit and land selection
- Properly prepare the soil to prevent degradation and washing
- Plan the planting of crops and establish them
- Perform maintenance and care during the production cycle
- Fertilization to add nutrients to the soil to improve production
- Perform integrated pest management (IPM)
- Control the quality of water entering crops
- Properly handle products in harvest, transport and post-harvest.
- Keep production areas clean and disinfected
- Provide well-being and care to workers.
- Protecting and maintaining natural resources
- Traceability system, documentation and records for transparent processes.
Information obtained from AGROCALIDAD in Ecuador.
BPA at Yantza Farm – PermaTree
It is important to understand that organic production systems are the most natural and sustainable in time, as they are the closest thing to nature. these systems use natural resources and do not use chemicals that affect biodiversity and the balance of productive areas.
The Yantza Farm – PermaTree, is the first farm in the province of Zamora Chinchipe. Being an organic and permaculture farm, it aims to make consumers know what production processes are like. From the selection of plants that are sown, in this case soursop, which is the largest crop, to the process of added value and packaging of the products.
An important part of the estate is also the holistic approach it has. It is understood that the entire system is related and it is important to protect and maintain each of the elements of the system, from the smallest insects and microorganisms in the soil, to the larger animals such as the birds and trees that give shelter to them.
By implementing BPAs, you seek to obtain the best production results, taking care of the plants and giving them the necessary resources naturally for them to produce continuously. However, the most important thing is to get quality products and not necessarily quite poor-quality harvest.
The soil handling is a bit complex, as the area is not completely flat. Erosion is a big problem. With the large amount of rain that this area has, the soil is washed and the productive part is lost. For the management of this have been chosen to make terraces at level, every 5 meters to facilitate the planting and management of crops.
The use of plant toppings is important to reduce the impact of rain on the soil. For this it was chosen to use forage peanuts, as it is an excellent nitrogen fixer, resists trampling and is good at colonizing areas, thus reducing the spread of weeds.
Vetiver has also been planted on the edges of the terraces to prevent them from moving. The roots of the vetiver can grow up to 15 m, and this helps to hold the earth.
Near the productive areas are planted different native plants with flowering that attract insects. This in order to conserve native species, both flora and fauna, since insects help pollination, obtaining better results in production and quality.
For weed control, it is fumigated with urea, which is toxic in large quantities only for grasses. This applies when grasses start to appear again and make it difficult for other plants to grow
In this way, the PermaTree farm implements BPA’s, always taking into account the component, productive, economic and above all, environmental.
