Conservation Agriculture
HiWeiss uses only soy and other plant-based raw materials that are grown using the rules of Conservation Agriculture, as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). HiWeiss has been using these agricultural techniques on its own 100-hectare farm (HiWeiss Agricola) and with its customers since 2005. This approach aims to increase soil fertility, reduce fuel consumption, and control production costs.
The term Conservation Agriculture was coined in the 1990s by the FAO and is based on three interconnected principles:
- Minimum soil disturbance. Direct sowing on untilled land.
- Use of cover crops and management of crop residues.
- Crop rotation and diversification of crops.
These, also known as regenerative, farming methods favor the preservation and multiplication of organic matter in the soil. The soil is able to act as a carbon sink, which helps to reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and mitigate the emission of greenhouse gases. When HiWeiss raw materials are grown, not only is no CO2 produced, but CO2 is also actively captured from the atmosphere and fixed in newly formed humus.
