Sustainable Development
Bio Serae Laboratories was interested by the nutritional potential of Opuntia ficus-indica : they developed NeOpuntia® and Cacti-Nea™, and progressively committed the company to following the principles of sustainable development :
- Economic Development
This new activity enables farmers to add value to their crop. Cactus is no longer only used as fodder during the dry season, but it also represents a value-added, industrial raw material.
Cactus can be harvested and transformed all year long, which allows a secure and stable source of income for farmers. It thus reduces production risks linked to climate sensitive agricultural products.
- Social Development
More than 70 families live directly or indirectly off the revenues generated by the production of NeOpuntia® and Cacti-Nea™. This activity implanted deep in the rural areas provides valuable and secure jobs, minimizing thus the rural depopulation.
- Environmental Protection
The cactus has incredible properties allowing it to resist to very dry conditions: production of this cactus is indeed possible in zones where rainfall is lower than 200 mm/year.
The cactus also has other advantages : in addition to animal fodder, it can be used for ground conservation, to prevent desertification and preserve lands prone to water and wind erosion. Indirectly, cactus growth in arid and semi-arid zones contributes to the protection and enrichment of a complete ecosystem, and consequently ensures biodiversity.
Cactus cultivation for the production of NeOpuntia® and Cacti-Nea™ follows the principles of organic farming, with no use of pesticide or chemical fertilizer : this natural method of growing Opuntia ficus-indica is thus particularly economical and environmentally friendly.
