1 of 6
MDR president Christian A. Njoto Njoo in a Kasturi field in Jember. Credit: PT. Mangli Djaya Raya
2 of 6
AOI works closely with farmers around the world to lend agronomic expertise at all stages of the crop production process; here in Brazil. Credit: Alliance One International, LLC
3 of 6
Since 2005, AOI has supported the development of new seed technology that can help improve farmer profitability and crop quality. Credit: Alliance One International, LLC
4 of 6
AOI employee checking leaf quality in Brazil. Credit: Alliance One International, LLC
5 of 6
Yellow traps are used to protect seedling against pests. Credit: PT. Mangli Djaya Raya
6 of 6
MDR agronomists train farmers about chemical usage.
“Sustainability” in a variety of facets is nowadays deployed in practically all agricultural sectors; and tobacco farming is no exception. Whether it is large, globally active companies or more localized suppliers, they all are implementing a host of initiatives designed to improve the overall agronomy and promote agricultural practices in tobacco growing just as much as to protect the environment in a sensible way.
An important focal point
“Sustainability in tobacco farming is an overarching campaign that seeks to encourage best agricultural standards in environmental management and key social and human rights areas, and to do so while operating with integrity,” explained Hélio Moura, global agronomy director of North Carolina-headquartered Alliance One International, LLC (AOI). “Generally speaking, sustainability initiatives are comprised of efforts that advance progress on key issues such as climate change, water and waste management, farmer prosperity, human rights and business integrity.”
Meanwhile, Christian A. Njoto Njoo, president of family-owned PT Mangli Djaya Raya (MDR) in Indonesia’s well-known tobacco growing hub of Jember in eastern Java, offered an almost lyrical take on the topic. “Sustainability has always been a focal point of our operations since starting our business more than decade ago,” he said. “For us, ‘sustainability’ means to conduct our business as much in tune with Mother Nature as possible and to avoid upsetting nature’s balance for the sake of quick profits. We grow [a crop] in Mother Nature’s soil and make a living from it, so of course we feel compelled to give something back to Her. It’s the least we can do.”
Christian noted that, fortunately, Indonesian farmers have traditionally been adept at maintaining that balance of nature. “They never may have formally studied the modern concept of sustainability programs, but have nevertheless adhered to the core principles by instinct, passing on their knowledge from generation to generation.” That attitude, Christian said, makes it easier for companies such as MDR to implement fleshed-out initiatives. “We just need to collaborate with the farmers in order to synchronize their [traditional] practices with the modern programs that we have devised based on agronomy science.”
Managing and promoting sustainability in a relatively constricted area is one thing, but, when operations extend over several countries and – indeed – continents such as in the case of companies like AOI, programs must be quite a bit more structured and “custom-tailored” to suit conditions on-site. “Though our company takes a global approach in implementing sustainability measures… the concrete initiatives can vary considerably based on the particular needs that we are facing in each of our operating regions,” confirmed AOI’s Hélio Moura. “All growers are contractually required to meet our agricultural labor practices (ALP) and sustainable tobacco production (STP) requirements.” He added that through a holistic approach to sustainable tobacco farming that keeps farmer sustainability at the core, AOI is able to “minimize environmental impacts as well as support the people and communities in which we operate.”
Crop rotation, the cornerstone of sustainability
Though both companies actively implement a broad catalogue of agricultural sustainability policies (see table), crop rotation is among the most elementary ones. Just like any other agricultural commodity, tobacco is known for leeching certain soil nutrients while leaving yet others largely untouched. In the long term this can lead to imbalances in the nutrient composition that more often than not need to be addressed by bringing out chemical fertilizers and soil enhancing agents.
Once the main tobacco crop has been harvested, AOI is encouraging its contracted farmers to grow off-season succession crops such as oats, para grass (lat. Brachiaria mutica), and triticale – a wheat and rye hybrid – to protect soil against erosion and compaction, according to Moura. “These crops not only serve as a means to promoting soil health but also are a source of additional income for farmers, as they can be sold as cattle feed, for example.”
Meanwhile, MDR agronomist, Dian Haruno, told Tobacco Asia that his company followed an annual crop rotation cycle broken down into three “seasons” lasting four months each. “For most of the tobacco varietals that we produce – such as Besuki NOTA, Voor Oogst Jatim, Kasturi and Madura, and Lombok FCV – we begin with four months of rice paddies, then proceed to the main tobacco crop for another four months, and close the growing year with four months of corn.” However, the cycle looks different for Besuki NO, which begins with two four-month-long periods of paddy and concludes with four months of tobacco.
Still a mainstay: chemical fertilizers
Although crop rotation does tag along with a host of soil-enhancing advantages, no tobacco farm can do completely without fertilization. But, while the use of natural (i.e. organic) fertilizers is on the upswing, chemical fertilizers are very often still an indispensable necessity, though it perhaps is not always what could be loosely referred to as “the ideal solution”.
“At this time, the primary processes we use to promote and protect soil fertility [still] require chemical fertilizers,” conceded AOI’s Hélio Moura. However, he added that the company was dedicated to increasing the deployment of natural fertilizers when it makes sense.
This commitment is illustrated by a number of research projects carried out by AOI. “For example, our Brazilian operation is exploring the possibilities of enriching soil with phosphorus by taking advantage of mycorrhizae,” he said. The term describes the mutual symbiotic association between certain fungi and plants, whereas plants (in this case, tobacco) provide specific fungi introduced into the soil with sugar from photosynthesis, while the fungi in return supply the plants with a variety of nutrients, including phosphorus.
“Natural fertilizers are of course better for the environment,” said MDR’s Dian Haruno, “but we must take a realistic approach here and admit that producing natural fertilizers takes time and is more expensive than readily available chemical agents.” He also added that chemical fertilizer usage was more practical because its nutrient composition is consistent and, thus, the quantities brought out into the fields can be gauged more accurately.
Yet, “balancing out” the usage of natural and chemical fertilizers is nevertheless an option that MDR is already pursuing. “But it’s a work in progress,” conceded Dian. “What we are [currently] doing in collaboration with our DAC farmers is to ‘inoculate’ paddy straw with certain bacteria strains to break down the fibers and transform the straw into natural fertilizer. So far it accounts for less than 30% of total fertilizer usage, but at least it’s a good start.”
Dian also hinted at a recently introduced government program spearheaded by the Ministry of Agriculture to promote natural fertilizers. “For every 100 kilograms of chemical urea fertilizer farmers buy, they will get an additional 5 kilograms of organic fertilizer free of charge, as well as receive instructions on how to use the natural product. I think it’s a great idea, although I have not yet any detailed information as per how effective that program actually is.”
From solar panels to legume trees: alternative fuels
As we all know, flue-curing is fuel-intensive. Regardless of whether a fossil fuel, wood or charcoal is used: they all are having a more or less negative impact on the environment. Wood (or charcoal production) additionally can be a cause of deforestation. But there are alternatives, and both companies contributing to this article are promoting them as part of their sustainability programs.
“Alliance One International is indeed researching alternative fuels, as well as efficiency improvements of curing barns,” confirmed Hélio Moura. “For example, we are exploring the use of solar panels, which could reduce up to 30% of total fuel consumption.” Depending on the operating country, the firm also is promoting alternative fuels with the aim of reducing farmers’ dependence on wood and charcoal.
In Indonesia, AOI has thus introduced coconut husks, which are available in abundance, while rice husks are increasingly in use across Asia. In Africa, the company promotes the planting of fast-growing legume trees, which firstly serve the purpose of crop rotation and soil nutrient replenishment and, secondly, are burned as fuel once harvested and dried.
Apart from the ubiquitous paddy husks and straw, MDR is encouraging its farmers to also look at other renewable fuel sources readily available year-round such as corncobs, candlenut shells and palm waste (including coconut husks, shells and dried fronds). However, Dian Haruno cautioned that the main issues inherent to all these fuels was the fact that they simply are not as energy efficient as wood. “They burn much faster and generate less heat than wood, which does not make them ideal for flue-curing purposes,” he said.
Reforestation also does its part
Excessive firewood needs are of course a global problem that has led to widespread deforestation in many countries and regions. It is, therefore, little wonder that reforestation programs are an integral part of the sustainability efforts carried out by AOI and MDR.
“We deem reforestation a crucial sustainability initiative and our company has planted over 276 million trees worldwide in support of this measure, recognizing that trees are vital to our existence and to counteract climate change,” asserted AOI’s Hélio Moura. “In addition, reforestation improves air quality, increases biodiversity and [new] soil production, not only retaining precious moisture but also reducing the threat of flash flooding.”
MDR’s Dian Haruno concurred that reforestation is very important. “And we don’t feel that planting new patches of forest reduces the acreage for planting tobacco to any substantial degree either,” he said, adding that it was in fact common practice in Indonesia to alternate agricultural fields with forested areas.
To make his point, Dian cited a recent project where his company planted a large area in Jember with Samanea saman trees (a.k.a. rain tree or monkey pod tree) in collaboration with several private and government institutions. He added that he also had received information that a number of “multi-national [tobacco] corporations” have been involved in planting bamboo forests in Lombok, as well as “10 hectares of industrial forest to be used as fuels for the farmers there.”
Nothing goes without farmer education
Sustainable farming programs generally are only as effective as the people implementing them. Hence, farmer education is a crucial cornerstone in AOI’s efforts. “We need to instill [in farmers] an understanding why and how certain sustainability initiatives can benefit them,” explained Moura.
“At Alliance One, growers are at the core of our business success, as we are working with approximately 300,000 farmers across 5 continents. It’s almost superfluous to mention that ultimately our sustainability goals could not be achieved without grower alignment.” To ensure proper education, the company employs some 1,000 agronomists and field technicians who conduct over one million individual farm visits annually, providing hands-on training to the farmer.
“It’d be practically useless if we kept improving our [sustainability] methods but neglected teaching our farmers how to effectively put them into action,” concurred MDR’s Christian A. Njoto Njoo, asserting that farmer education was one of the company’s highest priorities. “Older generations of growers are bringing lots of traditional farming knowledge to the table, while the younger generation is more tech-savvy and comprehends complex sustainability practices more readily. When we train our farmers, these two groups complement one another perfectly, ensuring that our sustainability policies fall on… well… fertile ground.”