LE PARISIEN
QUI CROIT AU BIO
MAURICIEN
PAUL-ÉTIENNE DE BAYSER
THE FRENCHMAN WHO BELIEVES IN
MAURITIUS’ ORGANIC FUTURE
Bénéfi ciaire et leader de la coopérative Twelfth Star
(benefi ciary and leader of the cooperative Twelfth Stars)
Yannick François
2016, with the purpose of using “less chemicals for a more natural result
wherever possible”, as Yoann Michenet, agronomist and partner at Pure
Farming, explains. Fruits and vegetables that are tested and approved by
the Quantilab laboratory can now be produced in larger quantities and
at lower cost to address the growing market demand.
According to Yan Mayer, it is still diffi cult to go fully organic for large-
scale production in Mauritius. As organic is gaining ground in our lives
and in our plates, it is important to dispel the myth around this concept
to better understand what is at stake. “Going organic is very much
about complying with a set of requirements. Such requirements may
diff er from one country to another. Organic does not necessarily mean
chemical-free,” Yoann Michenet further explains. Moreover, there are
some specifi c challenges to Mauritius that must be taken into account:
a diffi cult tropical weather, endemic pests (such as fruit fl ies), lack of
training and a form of lobbying on plant protection products.
However, going organic is not impossible and many small structures
are pushing in that direction. Island Bio’s community gardens are an
example. Th e founder, Olivier Fanfan, is determined to break with the
established codes. Th e young man’s dream was to bring agriculture and
social work together in the same space, and he did just that. Above all
things, Island Bio is a human endeavour, which aims to help the needy
and give them a taste for planting. According to his own words, Olivier
is fi ghting for “a fair access to healthy, top-quality, pesticide-free and
aff ordable food”, in an endeavour to return to the land and preserve its
biodiversity. Such a project is about to break down the existing social
and economic barriers, moreover refl ecting the life philosophy of more
and more people. In this “open-air supermarket”, the customer is free to
choose his food and interact with the farmer without any intermediary.
Eff orts towards organic farming are more than a few, as evidenced by
the emergence of such organisations as Vélo Vert, Forena and Agribio.
Growing pesticide-free food is not completely utopian. Still, eff orts
remain scattered: the output is unfortunately too low and non-viable
for the private sector, unless there are subsidies.
Th ough it is still diffi cult for such practices to fi nd their way into the
local market, it is unanimously agreed that the population’s awareness
about healthy diet has been increasing. A growing number of farmers
are turning to organic and sustainable agriculture. According to Yoann
Michenet, the main challenge is to achieve food sovereignty, in which
the local and sustainable production of safe and environment-friendly
food would be given precedence. A new organic era has begun in
Mauritius, with a wealth of hopeful opportunities that are only waiting
to be exploited.
EDITION #6
Paul-Étienne, Parlez-nous de votre investissement à
Maurice.
Je suis actionnaire depuis Paris d’une exploitation
d’agriculture raisonnée bio à Maurice, Purefarming.
Étant donnée l’impossibilité, selon nos agronomes, de
tenir le cahier des charges de labels bio comme « AB »
et « Ecocert », nous proposons une agriculture raisonnée.
Purefarming a été la première entreprise mauricienne à
obtenir la certifi cation BioFarming. Nous avons obtenu le
Maurigap step 1 et visons le step 2, ce qui prouve le sérieux
de nos protocoles de culture.
Pensez-vous qu’il y a un avenir pour le bio à Maurice ?
Il y a une demande croissante des Mauriciens pour se
nourrir de produits locaux de qualité. Maurice a deux choix :
« massifi er » son économie, risquant d’y perdre sa spécifi cité
et d’endommager durablement son environnement ou
investir dans ses cultures, ce qui l’amènera à tirer tout le
bénéfi ce de son identité dans un esprit de qualité.
Quelle est votre vision à long terme pour ce projet ?
Nous savons maintenant que nous pouvons cultiver un large
panel de fruits et légumes sains de qualité supérieure, avec
une saisonnalité inédite. Une fois que nous aurons développé
nos structures et notre savoir-faire, l’objectif sera d’étendre la
surface et d’exporter.
Paul-Étienne, Tell us more about your investment in
Mauritius.
From Paris, I have invested in sustainable bio-farming in
Mauritius through the creation of “Purefarming”. According
to our consultants, we are not in a position to meet the
standards of European organic labels such as “AB” or
“Ecocert”, that is why we have opted for sustainable farming.
Purefarming was the fi rst Mauritian organisation to receive
the BioFarming certifi cation. We have achieved Level 1 in
MauriGAP and are working towards Level 2, which proves
that our growing protocols are reliable.
Do you believe that there is a future for organic farming
in Mauritius?
Th ere is growing demand for high quality local food among
the Mauritian population. Mauritius has two options: either
engage in a mass production economy, with the risk of
losing its particularity and causing permanent damage to the
environment; or invest in local agriculture with a focus on
quality, thereby reaping the full benefi t of its identity.
What is your long-term vision for this project?
We now know that it is possible to grow a wide range of
fruit and vegetables that are totally safe and superior in
quality, with unprecedented seasonal patterns. Once we will
consolidate our structures and expertise, our next step will be
to expand and export.