A flagship project for Colombia that combines economic viability, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility: Small-scale organic lime farmers produce for the European market. Through the close partnership and consistent purchase of produce between Lehmann Natur and the smallholder cooperative, the farmers’ livelihoods are secured—with the goal of achieving significant growth by 2027.
During its annual trip to South America, lehmann natur visited its long-standing partner and producer of organic, Demeter, and Fairtrade limes. lehmann natur and Orange Export have been collaborating since the very beginning and have built the project together: “We started with five smallholder farmers and, together, have been able to increase the number of farms to over 60 within the last six years—by 2027, we want to significantly expand the project and plan to grow to twice the current number of smallholder farmers,” said Martin Jacobfeuerborn, Head of Purchasing at lehmann natur. Thanks to support and guidance from lehmann natur in the area of biodynamic agriculture, combined with demand in Europe, three farmers have already converted to Demeter certification, and others are on their way.
Founded in 2016, Orange Export and Lehmann natur aim to connect smallholder farmers in Santander, Colombia, with conscientious consumers in Europe. Since the beginning of their partnership, Lehmann natur has contributed significantly to the growth of the farmers’ cooperative by providing consistent purchase guarantees. Thanks to its organic, Fairtrade, and Demeter certifications, Orange Export is able to add value to the product, enabling small-scale farmers to compete on the global market. At the same time, jobs and a stable income are secured. In the future, through the partnership with Lehmann Natur, annual production of organic limes is expected to double by 2027, with Orange Export producing almost exclusively for Lehmann Natur.
The cooperative’s farms are located at elevations ranging from 800 m to 1,200 m above sea level. This is the optimal elevation for limes in the region, as it allows them to develop a protective skin and a high juice content. The Santander region offers an ideal combination of elevation, high sunlight exposure, and nutrient-rich soils for producing a high-quality product. By strategically increasing the soil’s humus content, erosion is prevented, soil temperature is regulated, moisture is retained, and CO2 is stored in the soil. On the farms, it takes an average of 3 months from flowering to harvest-ready fruit, and production ensures year-round availability. Harvesting takes place approximately every 7–15 days, depending on the size of the farm.
In April 2022, Orange Export opened the most advanced and sustainable organic packing house in all of South America. The climate-friendly, 3,300 m² packing facility is located in the Bucaramanga Free Trade Zone and is equipped with the latest AI technology, solar panels, and a rainwater harvesting system for cleaning the limes. The opening was celebrated with over 200 attendees. Among them were farmers and their families, Martin Jacobfeuerborn, Head of Purchasing, and Isabel Jung, Head of Quality Management at lehmann natur, Ingo Mordhost, a Demeter consultant, as well as Klaus Botzet, a representative of the German Embassy in Colombia. Thanks to its state-of-the-art packing facility and its ecologically and socially sustainable agricultural model, Orange Export is South America’s flagship project. By providing a steady, year-round market for their produce, the project helps secure the livelihoods of farming families in Colombia and enables them to compete on the global market.
About Lehmann Natur
Lehmann Natur is an importer of organic, Demeter, and permaculture-certified fruits and vegetables. Based in Meerbusch, the company has been committed since 1988 to making it possible for all consumers to enjoy healthy, ecologically sustainable, natural products of the highest quality.
With his two farms in southern Spain, Managing Director Friedrich Lehmann successfully practices climate-positive agriculture in accordance with permaculture guidelines and views this as a model for the agriculture of the future. In addition, the company promotes biodynamic agriculture and assumes social responsibility throughout the entire supply chain. Together with other stakeholders in the food industry, lehmann natur is also actively involved in the Dialogue Forum on Reducing Food Waste, advocating for the responsible use of our resources.
Farmers around the world grow organic and biodynamic fruits and vegetables for Lehmann Natur. To meet its high standards for quality and sustainability—including in its logistics operations—the company operates its own organic packing facility at its Korschenbroich location, which processes exclusively organic products. Since 2021, the seed brand LEHMANNS Bio-Saaten has complemented the company’s product range and underscores its commitment to thinking organic from the very beginning.
Contact person:
Lisa Kadagies Lehmann Natur Gesellschaft zur Erzeugung und zum Vertrieb ökologischer Produkte mbH Otto-Hahn-Straße 10 40670 Meerbusch Email: presse@lehmann-natur.com Website: www.lehmann-natur.com
Images:
Caption: From left to right: Martin Jacobfeuerborn, Head of Purchasing at lehmann natur; Ray Van Vilsteren, Director of Orange Export S.A.S.; Isabel Jung, Head of Quality Management at lehmann natur; and Ingo Mordhost, Demeter Consultant
Caption: Freshly harvested limes
Caption: Packing in the new climate-friendly packing house
Caption: This combines state-of-the-art AI technology with high-precision calibration
Caption: A smallholder farming family on their farm in Colombia
Caption: The farms are all located at an elevation of approximately 800–1,200 meters.
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