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Orange

Oranges were introduced from Southeastern Asia to other parts of the world by sailors who plied the trade routes. Today, the main commodities traded are oranges consumed as fresh fruit (about 70% of all production) and orange juice. However, other commodities such as essential oils, jams, jellies and dried fruit are also traded.

Did you know…

On average a healthy orange tree yields about 40.08 Kg of fruit per year.
One orange (weighing about 131 grams) contains approximately 116% of your daily Vitamin C requirement?

Most important export countries

Brazil
Spain
United States of America
South Africa
Belgium

Most important production countries

Brazil
United States of America
Mexico
India
Spain

Production chain

Orange trees are grown as a single crop on small to large farms. The extent to which orange trees are fertilised, irrigated and/or treated with pesticides depends on the growth conditions of the individual farm. Oranges are mainly harvested manually and to a lesser extent, mechanically. Manual harvesting involves ‘the ladder and bag method’. In this method the picker on a wooden ladder removes the fruit from the trees and puts it into a shoulder sack which is then emptied into crates or bins placed in strategic positions in the orange grove. The oranges are then transported to the packing house or juice factory, depending on the purpose of the fruit. In the packing houses they are pre-graded, often de-greened (the citrus skin gets treated for the fruit to be fully coloured), and packed for transportation. In the juice factory the oranges are graded and cleaned before the juice is extracted. The juice is either converted to ‘not for concentrate’ (NFC) or ‘frozen concentrated orange juice’ (FCOJ) before being transported.

Problems

Weaknesses and successes in the orange sector have been analyzed by means of the Fairfood Sustainability Agenda. Labour issues surrounding the harvesting of the fruit are a concern. Child labour in agriculture is a major issue in most of the orange-producing countries. In Brazil and South Africa, it is estimated that thousands of minors are employed in the harvesting of oranges. There have been numerous reports of farm workers (often undocumented) in South Africa and Florida getting paid well below minimum wage and receiving no overtime payment. Unhealthy and unsafe working conditions are also a major concern. Some workers become ill due to exposure to pesticides. Eye injuries as well as injuries caused by accidents when using a ladder during manual picking of oranges are also important problems.
With water becoming increasingly scarce, orange trees are grown commercially in some countries where there is a severe shortage of water. The water requirements depend on the species/rootstock used, the climate, ground cover and the care given to the grove. Orange trees in countries like Spain, Italy, Israel and South Africa require about 100% irrigation; the combination of overuse of groundwater supplies, salination and pollution due to farm inputs, soil erosion and destruction of natural habitats are of major concern in such cases.

Major Chain Issues

In the orange sector, Fairfood International has identified the following major chain issues:

Major chain	Production stage
Water Mismanagement and Contamination	Production
Unhealthy and Unsafe Working Conditions	Production
Child Labour	Production
Unreasonable Working Hours	Production
Insufficient Income and Income Security	Production
Harmful Agricultural or Aquafarming Practices	Production

Solutions

The guide below shows certification schemes whose standards indicate a match with some or all of Fairfood’s researched major issues for this commodity. To learn more about the schemes, click on their logo.

EU Organic Labels	Fairtrade	Global Gap
Production	Entire chain	Production

Customised sustainability initiatives
In addition to making use of standards and certification schemes, major issues in this commodity could also be addressed in a customised manner. The box below outlines a few examples of initiatives that deal with sustainability issues in this particular sector. Companies could join some of the platforms or roundtables mentioned below. These could serve as a stepping stone to increased sustainability. Other initiatives, in the form of corporate programmes and chain partnerships, could serve as inspiration for replication by other companies within the sector. To learn more about any of the initiatives, click on their logo.

Corporate program	The Nature & More (N&M) initiative was established in December 2004 by international organic fruit distributor Eosta as a communication tool and additional quality assurance mechanism for organic fruit and vegetables. N&M aims to provide information on the social and environmental contribution individual organic farmers are making. A trace and tell system is used to make farmer and product information accessible for consumers thus continuously increasing transparency. Priority issues are addressed and verified by this initiative.
Corporate program	Innocent Drinks is a fruit smoothie brand from the UK which was established in 1998. In addition to sourcing fruits from Rainforest Alliance certified farms, Innocent Drinks has developed its own Minimum Standards. These standards cover several sustainability aspects, ranging from labour conditions to biodiversity. Suppliers are encouraged to work towards complying with these standards when an existing certification scheme is not available.
Paltform	The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform is a corporate initiative established in 2002 by Danone, Nestlé and Unilever. The platform was established to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and initiatives, which promote sustainable agricultural practices. SAI Platform Working Group on Fruits has developed the Principles and Practices for Sustainable Fruit Production, which incorporates social and environmental issues. The SAI Platform is focussed on collaboration and they have no requirements for the implementation or verification of the principles and practices.