Sustainability program

Sustainability

Benexia is a company 100% dedicated to the chia seed, with over 20 years of supporting farming activities in Bolivia and Argentina. Our agricultural services provide farmers with fair pay as well as education, training and technical agricultural support to guarantee the highest yield of regeneratively farmed superior quality chia.

Social and Environmental Responsibilities

  • Vertically integrated, Benexia was born from a farming initiative whose aim was to improve the economy and farmer welfare in North Western Argentina
  • Our supply chain incorporates carbon reduction efforts at every step from production to processing and distribution
  • Our processing plant is near ZERO waste
  • We select the most ecological (recyclable and compostable) packaging solutions available for the preservation of our planet
  • B certified corporation (certification in process)

Regenerative Agriculture

Reduces Carbon

Refreshes Waterways

Revitalizes Communities

Sustainability is one of our core values, something we are passionate about and have intentionally integrated into every aspect of our business, starting in our fields.

Transitioning to more sustainable forms of agriculture is becoming ever more important to the future of the global food supply and our planet, as traditional agricultural practices can have serious negative impacts on the environment.  In essence, regenerative agriculture is a system of farming principles aimed at maintaining, rehabilitating and enhancing the entire ecosystem around the farm.  It focuses on building healthy fertile soil, increasing biodiversity, creating healthier water systems and stronger farming communities.

SHIFT THE PARAGIDM, PARTNER WITH NATURE

Core principles of regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture

ALL OF THESE ACTIONS WORK SYMBIOTICALLY TO HELP FIGHT THE CLIMATE CRISIS BY PULLING CARBON FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND SEQUESTER IT IN THE GROUND

Sustainability

Discover our regenerative practices

Sustainability Program

Each plant has a specific nutrient requirement and level of carbon absorption.  Rotating crops with different types of plants allows the soil to maintain a balance in terms of nutrient consumption.  It also allows time for the soil to regenerate and self regulate soil carbon levels.

We rotate our chia with sorghum, sunflower, soy, maize, and rice that is used both to keep local to support and feed nearby communities, and for exportation.

At Benexia, we rotate crops in the fields because it allows us to:

  • Select the most suitable crops for the season which both maximizes their growth and reduces the need for herbicides.
  • Diversify our crops, minimizing risk of plagues and other diseases.
  • Let the soil rest between crops ensuring a natural and organic return of essential nutrients, and neutralization of the soil’s pH.

We use natural rainfall as the only needed source of water for all crops growth.

Natural Barriers

Each of our productive fields have a 40-meter perimeter of dense native forest and diverse vegetation. This:

  • Protects our crops from the wind, one of the major causes of soil erosion.
  • Promotes plant and animal diversity by allowing a natural forest highway for the free movement of natural biodiversity.
  • Protects against water erosion. These barriers minimize the potential displacement of soil by surface water run off which strengthens the soil, promotes native biodiversity and plant pollinations.

Tilling is a process where the top six-ten inches of soil is turned over prior to planting new crops. The theory is that this aerates and warms the soil and blends surface crop residues, animal manure and weeds into the soil. While this sounds like a good thing, it has a number of negative effects on soil quality.  On our farms we keep the soil intact and plant our chia seeds directly into the layers of nutrient-rich soil.

Till program
No till program

Here’s Why We Use No-Tilling Practices

Tilling Practices

No-Tilling Practices
Breaks the soil structure, making the ground prone to runoff and erosion. Keeps the soil structure intact and protected by the crop residue, allowing the soil to more readily absorb water. This reduces erosion and runoff and prevents pollution from entering nearby waterways.
Cause water to evaporate quickly which reduces irrigation efficiency and diminishes crop yield. Lead to slower water evaporation which means increased irrigation efficiency and higher crop yields.
Dislodge and kill off microbes and insects that are needed develop and maintain healthy soil biology. Long-term tilling eventually makes soil dependent on chemicals for productivity. Beneficial soil organisms feed off of the soil’s organic matter. As soil’s organic matter improves, so does the soil’s structure—improving its ability to grow more nutrient-dense crops.

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