Impact

Environment

A thriving environment is vital to everything we do as an agricultural company.
WATER-ICON

Water

All agriculture is dependent on water. Blueberry production creates more jobs per litre of water used in production, on a per hectare basis, than any other fruit commodity.

SOIL-ICON

Soil

A significant portion of our production is in pots, requiring a carefully managed approach to caring for the growing medium so that it can last in excess of ten to fifteen years. Where we do grow in the soil, more often than not we have converted an old seed-crop farm into a fruit orchard, restoring the soil to an arable state.

ENERGY-ICON

Energy

An equally critical focus is placed on energy. We have embarked on a renewable energy strategy and our first production unit is completely off the grid, through a combination of solar and battery storage.

Sustainability

We focus on three distinct areas of sustainability.

Carbon

We are committed to measuring and improving our carbon footprint and will continue to challenge ourselves on the benchmarks. On sites where we manage or own the production assets, we can proudly claim that our blueberries are carbon neutral when they leave the farm gate.

Waste

Be it water, energy, consumables or the packaging we use for our products, we, alongside our clients, are looking into sustainability solutions that support the circular economy.  Already the picking trays we use in our orchards are both fully recyclable and reusable.

Social Responsibility

In any chosen market where we grow our products, there is no shortage of opportunities to make an impact on societal causes.  In South Africa we have aligned our initiatives to the government’s Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) and its transformation objectives. Challenges in other markets are not dissimilar, and while we work to ensure alignment across the broader business, each business unit is considered on its own merits.  That said, there is one area that as a company we can have the most significant long-term impact on a social level: education.
We launched the OZblu® Academy in 2018.  With a world-class team of highly qualified women leading the front, we are excited and optimistic about the potential impact that will stem from the OZblu® Academy’s initiatives.

The OZblu® Academy

We have created a school that will ultimately provide both in-classroom and online education facilities, coupled with practical in-field activities on the production of low-chill blueberries.

Bursaries and
Post-Graduate Research

This is focused on providing financial support to previously disadvantaged individuals for undergraduate studies in the fields of agronomy, agriculture, horticulture, soil science and food technology. Post-graduate study support will be open to all students provided the research is undertaken on or concerns an OZblu® farm.

Community Access to Education

Low-chill blueberry production creates almost more jobs per hectare for a longer season than any other crop. These rural communities often don’t have access to much-needed services like education. United Exports focuses on re-purposing existing educational content and providing sustainable access to the local communities that are directly linked to OZblu® projects.

Agricultural Education

OZblu® partners with selected agricultural institutions that provide technical agricultural education. This provides the foundation of knowledge for many of the permanent staff on the OZblu® farms.

Graduate Placement Programme

This programme provides work experience and develops valuable knowledge and skills in young people while attracting talent to the agricultural industry.