In Australia, 55% of consumers are considered "conscious consumers *" and a third of consumers bought their favorite brands last year for reasons of sustainability **.
"The demand for transparency is higher than ever and sustainable production is not negotiable for many," says Lynne Ziehlke, General Manager Marketing for the Australian macadamia industry.
The Australian macadamia industry has taken these findings into account.
"Now and in the future, the choice of ingredients that can withstand production pressure and therefore reduce environmental pollution will be increasingly desirable for both manufacturers and consumers."
Ms. Ziehlke explains: “We are pleased to share the sustainability features that Macadamias can now deliver. From water use efficiency to carbon sequestration to minimizing carbon emissions, by-product recycling and the world's best biological control, the macadamia industry really sets goals in this area. "
A sustainability giant, the macadamia tree
Due to its ability to optimize water consumption and bind carbon from the atmosphere, the macadamia tree is a sustainability giant of the plant world.
Scientific analysis shows that macadamia trees rationalize the available water more efficiently than previously thought. This is due to the internal water management system of the tree, which closes the stomatal pores of the tree in times of low moisture and makes the tree resistant to its surroundings, especially drought ***.
Ms. Ziehlke says the Australian macadamia industry sees no compromise between sustainable farming practices and productivity.
“The Australian macadamia industry not only absorbs carbon, it also limits its carbon footprint by minimizing the use of heavy diesel-consuming machinery and transportation. Human intervention in the orchard is easy and the processing plants are located in the main growing areas so that the nuts do not have to be far from the tree to be peeled, dried and packaged.
“We know without a doubt that the more sustainable we are, the more productive we are. This promotes innovative thinking in farms, increasing biodiversity and developing effective biological controls, ”concludes Ms. Ziehlke.
* PayPal mCommerce Index, 2019. paypal.com/au/webapps/mpp/mcommerce-index
** Meet the 2020 Consumers Driving Change, the IBM Institute for Business Value and the National Retail Federation. ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/report/consumer-2020#
*** Summer 2019 AMS Bulletin Volume 47 Number 4, specialty of tree water management, Dr. Dan Manson, tree physiologist and Theunis Smith, gardener.
