Carlo Hein was yearning for a taste of home when he decided to start a business reviving the orchards of his hometown in Luxembourg, looking to the past and the future to thrive.
In a profile with Climate Heroes, Hein said he and friends were drinking cider in England when they reminisced about the ciders that used to be produced in Born, where the orchards had been abandoned and were deteriorating.
Hein raised funds and started Ramborn, a cider company using apples and pears from the local orchards he grew up near. The company began with reviving the existing trees, a two-year process that mostly involved removing unwanted vegetation like mistletoe. According to Climate Heroes, one million square meters (about 247 acres) of land have been restored, and hundreds of tons of fruit have been prevented from going to waste.
"We work for and with nature through the seasons and two-year natural yield cycles. I couldn't imagine living any other way," said Stefan, who works in fruit harvesting and maintenance for the company.
Ramborn has also begun planting new trees, over 1,000 already, focusing on species local to the area, which it notes require no pesticides or irrigation and are harvested using traditional methods. That focus on native plants has given its product a unique taste, too.
"We blend all the varieties. It is what gives our products their unique taste," Chantal, who is in charge of restoration work, told Climate Heroes.
Restoring and replanting trees in the orchard not only provided a business opportunity but also a chance to help the land. Trees improve air, water, and soil quality, and they function as carbon sinks. According to the National Forest Foundation, 100 mature trees can remove 55 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping mitigate changes to the climate.
"The health of our trees in the orchards is a real concern for Luxembourg today. I was astounded to learn about the state of the orchards in the country. We lost 90% of the one million fruit trees since 1900. It's just astonishing," Hein said.
They also serve as habitats for pollinators like birds and insects, which are key to wild plants and vital to crops. Per the USDA, 35% of the world's crops rely on pollinators for survival.
|
If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Making it look better 🌱 Hein hopes other companies can focus on sustainability as they find success.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
"Today, sustainability is still too often missing from business leaders' agendas," he said. "I like to have facts and not just ideas. With Ramborn, we can demonstrate in a very concrete way that if a small company can make a difference, so can large ones."
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
