Sustainability Report

Welcome to Select Harvests’ first sustainability report.

Select Harvests aims to be an employer of choice and be recognised as one of Australia’s most recognised agri-food businesses.

We believe that safe and sustainable business practices are critical to gaining this recognition and for the long-term viability of the business.

2017 Select Harvests Sustainability Report - INTERACTIVE PDF

View an INTERACTIVE PDF of the Sustainability Report by clicking this link
2017 Select Harvests Sustainability Report - INTERACTIVE PDF

2017 Select Harvests Sustainability Report

Download a PDF of the Sustainability Report by clicking this link
2017 Select Harvests Sustainability Report

Sustainability & Environment

Sustainability at Select Harvests is about providing long term environmental benefits which generate value for shareholders, customers, consumers and  the communities in which we operate.

Water

Select Harvests is a significant user of water. We recognise it as a scarce and finite resource that is an important input to our business. We conserve, recycle and save water wherever possible. This includes drainage to recycle orchard water, the use of low friction irrigation products and technology to avoid overuse. In recent years we have focussed on projects that improve the efficiency of water distribution to our orchards – replacing old and obsolete dripper tape, blocking irrigation to non-productive areas of our orchard and installing modern irrigation management infrastructure.

Energy

Select Harvests is a significant user of energy, both on our farms and in our processing facilities. We have taken a variety of actions to reduce energy utilisation and its cost, including installing energy-saving low friction pumps. In 2016, we installed our first off-the-grid farm hub at Allinga Farm (see photo of the solar panel array). 

The biggest energy saving initiative is Project H2E, the biomass electricity co-generation plant which will become operational in FY17. Consuming almond by-product (hull, shell and orchard waste), Project H2E will generate enough electricity to power the Carina West Processing Facility as well as nearby pumps for the Carina Orchard. Project H2E will result in a carbon footprint reduction of 27% – equivalent to taking 8,210 cars off the road.

Bees

Select Harvests is a significant user of bees for pollinating its orchards. We are committed to achieving effective and efficient pollination and bee management and are active in the bee community through conference attendance and sharing industry insights. As part of our bee stewardship, we plant alternative forage crops to almonds, such as canola, in order to assist bee health and performance. In future, we will plant perennial native species to further aid. We also provide water at hive sites to assist bee hydration.