We source all our fruit from farms that are small and family-run. These farms grow many different crops from coffee to chilli, bananas to passionfruit. The farmers practise crop rotation to ensure a sustainable system of farming. Animals provide the food needs of the farm and also nourish the land.
We are encouraging local farmers to preserve a mixed farming approach by helping them reap the financial benefits of growing different crops. In doing so, they also preserve the sustainability of the land.
Bali grows a lot of tropical fruit but much of the harvest goes to waste. Some fruit is sold as a commercial crop, but only the best grade fruit can be taken to market. There is no demand for other types of fruit. They are either consumed by the farmer’s family or are left to rot.
Awani is now creating a market for many types of and non-table grade tropical fruit. We buy directly from farmers, bypassing middlemen and we pay a premium to encourage mixed farming and sustainable practices to be maintained.
Mixed farming has been practised for centuries not just in Bali but all over the Indonesian archipeligo. In recent years though, economic necessity has seen many farmers convert to modern, high yield farming where they are dependent on one crop alone. Common examples are rice or coffee. When there is a bad harvest or the price of the crop collapses, these farmers’ livelihoods also suffer. In the longer term, so does the quality of the soil.
As our jams contain only natural fruit, the flavours are dependent on the quality of the ingredients. Bali’s soil is volcanic and rich in minerals and produces fruit packed with flavour.
We cannot call our fruit organic as there is currently no official organic certification body in Indonesia. It is expensive for farmers to obtain foreign organic certification. It would also make no difference to their income because in Indonesia, there is no additional value attached to fruit grown sustainably.
We have good relationships with our supplying farms and ensure as far as we can that artificial fertiliser is not used in the process of growing the fruit that we buy.
Our long term commitment is to help mixed farm farmers in Bali create a co-operatives to obtain local organic certification and to increase the value of their produce.
