Ardo CSR rapport 2024 - Flipbook - Page 41
We are Ardo
The path to a more
sustainable food system
Minimal environmental
impact
Agronomy
MIMOSA+
Food safety, quality
and innovation
2 Cover crops – Implementing soil cover for more than
200 days a year and optimising cover crop mixes
As part of our MIMOSA+ programme, we encourage our farmers to grow cover crops and cover
the soil for more than 200 days a year, as well as optimise the mix of varieties used in the cover
crop. These practices offer numerous advantages to soil health and the resilience of our crops.
Cover crops are plants grown primarily to protect and
- Certain cover crops, such as legumes, fix nitrogen,
improve the soil between periods of regular crop production.
reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers and supporting
They are not typically harvested but are used to achieve
nutrient (re)cycling, thus offering long-term economic
various benefits, such as improving soil health by reducing
benefits for farmers.
erosion, enhancing soil structure, and increasing organic
matter to ensure stability.
- Growing cover crops promotes biodiversity by introducing
more plant species, thereby increasing microbiological
More specifically, they add a wide variety of benefits to field
diversity, and reducing pressure from soil pathogens and
management:
weeds. Additionally, they provide habitat for beneficial
wildlife.
- Cover crops provide essential nutrients to the soil through
the addition of organic matter and root exudates, fostering
both aeration, infiltration, and water storage.
- Furthermore, cover crops could enhance drought
resistance, diversify crop rotations, and reduce soil
compaction.
- They also facilitate nutrient recovery, preventing nitrogen
leaching and enhancing the availability of elements like
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- Finally, combined with short-cycle vegetable crops,
potassium, magnesium, calcium, and ammonium for
they stabilise or increase organic matter, contributing to
subsequent crops.
long-term carbon sequestration in the soil.
Respect for
our employees
Relationship with
our stakeholders
Sustainability
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