Equator Prize for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa

Since 2001 Heiveld Co-operative has worked with small-scale rooibos tea farmers to provide organic and fair trade certification, as well as support with market access. In response to climate variability, farmers are cultivating drought-resistant varieties of rooibos. Collaborative work with research institutes has led to an industry-wide code of conduct on the sustainable harvesting and production of rooibos. The cooperative invests revenues back into community water access, education and health projects. Local tea farming incomes have increased by 400 percent, while soil erosion has been reduced in thousands of hectares of drylands where the tea is cultivated.

 

Key Facts 

Equator Prize Winner: 2014
Founded: 2001
Location: Suid Bokkeveld (nearest village, Nieuwoudtville),
South Africa
Beneficiaries: 74 members and their families
Area of Focus: Biodiversity, Fynbos biome

 

Case Study

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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