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<<0>> In this region, men usually raise livestock and women take care of the home
<<4>> Because of that, we’ve chosen to make hiring women a priority here on our farm.
<<9>> This gives more people an opportunity to earn an income
<<18>> After someone has filled a sack with Ravintsara leaves, they bring it down to the distillery,
<<25>> where it is weighed, and they are paid immediately, based off of the weight of the biomass.
<<36>> An important part of our business is sustainability.
<<39>> We plant acacia trees because they grow quickly and easily, and we use them as firewood.
<<44>> We currently have almost 400 acres of acacia dedicated to running our distillery.
<<49>> By doing this, we’ve eliminated the need to buy any firewood.
<<55>> We have three separate fields for Ravintsara totalling over 44,000 trees.
<<63>> To keep our products natural, we do not use chemicals in our fertiliser.
<<66>> We purchase cow manure from local farmers to fertilise our Ravintsara
<<73>> Everyone wins in this scenario because we get cheap fertiliser,
<<77>> and they get an additional income stream where there was not one before.
<<82>> We also reuse the spent Ravintsara biomass as compost,
<<86>> which we spread as fertiliser for other plants, like ginger.
<<95>> We work hard to avoid using chemicals in our operation
<<99>> not just in our fertiliser, but also in how we prevent insects and pests.
<<103>> So, we’ve had to find natural ways to protect our Ravintsara trees.
<<108>> We’ve hired people to survey the trees regularly and remove insect nests with fire.
<<113>> Using fire has eliminated the need for chemicals and is our “natural insecticide”.
<<121>> Madagascar is very blessed, because the Ravintsara that grows on this island
<<129>> is the best Ravintsara in the world, and that’s why we’ve dedicated so much of our land
<<135>> to Ravintsara production.
<<137>> We also feel like we can help the economy here, because it is generally a poor region.
<<143>> By establishing ourselves here, we have provided over 2,000 families with extra income.
<<152>> Our next step is to establish our own laboratory here on-site
<<157>> so that we can monitor our results in real time.
<<161>> That’s our long-term goal for the next two to three years.