Providing locally grown food with better quality, in bigger quantities, using sustainable growing practices, working at local, national and international scale.
The company is fully engaged to create the perfect balance between agriculture, tourism, gastronomy and innovation. The family business operates a sustainable food system covering pig farming (food industry), smart orchard (education and tourism), Dér Juice (product development), Almavirág Restaurant (gastronomy) and an Event Hall (Experience).
Focusing on circular economy issues, during the processes (designing, authorization, implementation, operation, discontinuation of the activity) the company endeavoured for reduction of the emissions at the source and application of the natural resources due to the application of the technique.
They reduced the specific water use. They do not use flushing water for removal of the manure, furthermore they equipped the high-pressure washing- and disinfecting equipment with a special spray head. By utilizing them the required cleanness can be achieved by using shorter time and less water. They reduced the specific (electric and natural gas) energy use. They reduced the specific feeding stuff use.
They managed to significantly reduce the quantity of the slurry produced at the site by ignoring the use of flushing water. The produced slurry is stored in safe metal-storing containers with fibreglass cover until it is used. When the pigs are cared, they try to reduce the environmental impacts negatively influencing the living world, since sustainable development is especially important for them.
Resources needed
For earlier investments, own sources were used, but for the technology and innovation investments Rural Development Programme provided funding (about 1,8 million EUR).
Evidence of success
Water and energy use reduced by 30 %, replace 40 % of their artificial fertilizer use with the manure produced by the pigs, and thereby they can achieve significant saving during the use of fossil artificial fertilizer. When placing it out, they inject the slurry into the soil, so the nitrogen loss decreases to zero. All the five sectors in the family owned business are working in symbiosis, thus contributing to sustainable management and environment protection.
Potential for learning or transfer
The practice provides a nice example for similar agricultural business actors where different activities are applied (animal husbandry, plant production). Having a committed leadership towards sustainability and the ambition to have adequate sources, this solution can strongly contribute to agri-innovation processes.
Tags: Agriculture, Circular economy, Food
