Farmer’s Choice Going Green
The concept of sustainability is at the center of many contemporary discourses globally, this is an indication that it is in our best interest and that of society to ensure we conserve the environment. IPS project companies are also adopting greener solutions to fight climate change. Over the years, Farmers Choice Limited (FCL) an IPS project company has adopted renewable energy, improved energy efficiency measures, planted thousands of trees, practiced agroforestry, and introduced a biochar project in a bid to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.
As industries continue to evolve in their production and manufacturing strategies, solar energy has become the central point of reference for sustainability. Clean energy is one of the world’s Sustainable Goals: SDG 7, Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy. It is also one of the key enablers of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Big 4 Agenda. The government of Kenya has placed great interest in the greening of its development blueprints.
The Big 4 agenda, the current government’s thematic development programmes further ensure that green energy plays a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of sustainable manufacturing, affordable housing, universal healthcare, and food security by 2022.
Tree Growing
Did you know that hundreds of thousands of trees have been planted by FCL? They have planted trees in their mini forest at the Rosemark farm, at the factory, and in schools within the project area. 1800 trees were planted for World Environment Day in 2022.
Trees play different roles in the carbon cycle, they mitigate carbon emissions by acting as a tool to sequester additional carbon. This is done by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transforming it into biomass through photosynthesis. The Sequestered carbon is then generated in form of deadwood, litter, and forest soils.
When you take a walk at the FCL’s Rosemark farm in Uplands, you will be emersed in nature due to the number of different tree species planted in the area, indigenous and exotic trees that have been nurtured, and agricultural produce planted within the area.
The farm has a forest that covers 26.87 hectares of land. It is the perfect place to forest bath and has a conversation with nature. A home to chirping birds, antelopes, monkeys, and hedgehogs.
The beauty of planting trees is that as much as you are conserving the environment, you are also promoting biodiversity.
Agroforestry
FCL practices agroforestry, it has integrated trees, crops, and livestock within its farm from various tree species to vegetables and it also practices pig farming.
Agroforestry has greatly benefited the employees and people within upland with agricultural produce. It has also been a sustainable agriculture system for FCL that has improved both soil quality, supported plant growth, increased yields, reduced soil erosion, and improved resilience to external climate shocks.
According to the Agroforestry Research Trust findings, agroforestry prevents soil erosion while improving water retention and soil fertility. Further, it could also increase the regularity of rain within the region and reduce carbon emissions since dense plantations would absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and regulate local temperature.
Currently, we are targeting to recycle over 70% of the waste generated and to plant over 5000 trees at the Rosemark farm. These initiatives are in progress.’’
Victor Maina, Energy engineer FCL.
The solar project
As industries continue to evolve in their production and manufacturing strategies, solar energy has become the central point of reference for sustainability. Clean energy is one of the world’s Sustainable Goals: SDG 7, Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. It is also one of the key enablers of Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Big 4 Agenda. The government of Kenya has placed great interest in the greening of its development blueprints.
The Big 4 agenda, the current government’s thematic development programmes further ensure that green energy plays a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of sustainable manufacturing, affordable housing, universal healthcare, and food security by 2022.
‘‘Having worked at Farmer's choice for 42 years, I have seen the company adopt innovative and sustainable technologies for various operations within the factory. We are quick to adapt to innovations especially the ones that are in line with environmental sustainability. The Solar project has been one of our major initiatives for going green and we are still on a journey to ensure we adopt more initiatives that are sustainable,''
Stanely Mbugua, Operations Director FCL.
FCL launched a clean energy solution by installing over 1850 solar panels at the factory. The solar project is one of the sustainability ventures spearheaded by IPS Kenya, to enhance carbon reduction and cost savings. The 980kWp solar Photovoltaic project utilizes 1,854 Jinko modules each of 530watts connected through 8, 100kw Huawei Inverters generating close to 1.6million kWh per year.
The solar project will offset close to 25% of the energy demand, and an additional carbon savings of close to 230tons of CO2 equivalent per year.
‘‘We have been working with the Spenomatics group and our engineering team to ensure that the solar project is successful. My advice to other companies is to encourage them to adopt renewable energy as a sustainability approach to reduce carbon emission and also to save on electricity costs,’'
Paul Kanja, IPS Energy Consultant.
Felistas Gitau director of sales and marketing stated that saving on electricity will help us serve our clients and meet their needs better considering over a million sausages and smokie produced by FCL are consumed across Kenya in a day.
Enriched manure project
Improving soil quality increases crop production, which is a step to being food secure, especially with the adverse changes due to climate change. Farmers Choice Limited (FCL) in partnership with Allpack, a project company of IPS implemented a project to produce high-quality manure, manage waste and reduce carbon emissions.
Allpack’s boiler uses eco-friendly briquettes made of rice, a combination of sawdust & sugarcane fibers of different ratios called bagasse to produce a solid residue resembling charcoal. This process is an efficient way of converting carbon since little or no contaminating fumes are emitted into the air. Once the process is complete, the ash obtained is transported to FCL’s Rosemark farm and then mixed with pig manure to produce high-quality organic manure used for farming.
‘‘We allow the neighbors to collect our manure for free, and we have gone an extra mile to train the local farmers on how to handle the manure. We also have an effluent treatment plant that allows us to use the treated water for irrigation,’’
Joseph Rotich, Operations manager at Rosemark.
Biogas project
The company provides free meals to over 1500 employees at the factory every day. In 2015, FCL launched a Biogas project to replace the LPG gas used in the factory’s kitchen to cook for our staff. The biogas project uses animal waste from the site and organic waste to fully supply gas to the kitchen.
So far, it has met 70% of energy demand, reduced the use of LPG gas, and reduced landfill waste.
‘‘Clean biogas energy has had a positive impact on our environment. It has also helped to improve the quality of our affluent,’’
Victor Maina, Energy engineer at FCL.
Solar water heating project
Renewable energy is the new normal. What better way for FCL to be a sustainability champion than to install a solar water heating system in the factory? Using solar heaters is the best way of preheating water as we reduce greenhouse emissions.
FCL installed 18 solar water heaters in 2018 and used them for preheating water for the production process in the factory. Before the launch of the solar water heaters, steam was the only means of preheating water within the factory. Using solar has reduced the rate at which steam was used to preheat water within the factory by 60%.
By Metrine Papa
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