IMPACTAGRI ( HOLDINGS ) LTD
136 extracted from the mine . The goal is for the agribusiness to employ more people than the mine itself within a few years and create a significant source of fruit and vegetables for the region . Longer term development will create high-value tree crops such as nuts and citrus for export . Elsewhere , ImpactAgri is working with other companies to identify the potential for agricultural solutions to remediate land and add value to legacy assets .
White explains that sustainable intensification on ex-mining sites can also be hugely positive : “ In Zambia , ImpactAgri is working with local partners to plant specific tree types on used and spent copper tailings . It looks like the moon , but by replanting the right type of crops , you can create biofuels . In turn , those biofuels can be a shared crop for our food crops .” He stresses that it ’ s important to value the natural capital with efficient use of water , understand the value of soil health and manage the impact on natural ecosystems .
Once these agribusinesses are given the opportunity to flourish , it ’ s vital to secure access-to-market by building the value chain , asserts White .
JULY 2019