In line with its commitment to environmental welfare, Fair Cape Dairies has introduced approximately 21 million African Honey Bees to pollinate the canola crops that are grown on the farm.
The canola is grown as part of the farm’s crop rotation, which is known to help improve soil health, optimise nutrients in the soil, and combat pest and weed pressure. At the same time, canola is good for bees, and bees are good for canola and, together, they are good for the health of the environment.
Fair Cape Dairies is working hard to maintain this mutually beneficial relationship, in line with its commitment to environmental welfare.
Dr Colin Ohlhoff, environmental officer at Fair Cape Dairies, says that the use of honey bees to pollinate canola has been found to encourage higher yields and superior quality crops, while canola flowers offer the ideal nectar for bees. “Working alongside nature, rather than against it, has long been a way of life for us at Fair Cape Dairies, and this method of pollination – a common practice of biodynamic farming – is beneficial for the farm, the bees and the environment.”
At Fair Cape, the philosophy of Do the Right Thing is our moral and ethical compass, and our brand is based on three pillars: environmental welfare, animal welfare and social welfare. Adding honey bee support to our long list of ecologically conscious initiatives is simply the right thing to do and is critical for the continuation of many species on earth,” says Ohlhoff.
