DO IT Organic started a partnership with DALIAN HUAEN in 1998, and today DO IT Organic imports many organic products from China. DALIAN HUAEN is a Chinese company established in 1994. Because of this long-lasting partnership we learned a lot about the culture and their way of working. The DALIAN HUAEN project works together with approximate 500 farmers.

Production method

The farming region is in the northeastern part of China were agriculture is the main way of life. The traditional handwork and simple methods are combined with advanced pest control. The farmers use rotation methods, protect animals, plants and the biodiversity. They use plows, (hand) weeders 2 to 3 times a year.

As a source of compost the farmers use livestock manure mixed with crop straw. The livestock is mainly poultry kept by the farmers themselves.

A big delta provides ideal irrigation possibilities. Because it serves as a water-winning area for the capital Beijing, the use of pesticides has been strongly restricted and extensive areas have been assigned to organic agriculture, surrounded by large buffer zones.

Training

Day-to-day supervision is carried out by managers who oversee the farmers working on the farms. Every year, before planting, the farmers are trained several times on organic principles, pest and weed control methods, crop rotation, and isolation zone requirements. This way the farmers can maintain the high quality of the product and keep the environment healthy.