Herdade da Daroeira

“Grupo Valouro” was a pioneer when implemented an Integrated Agrifood and Environmental System, at Herdade da Daroeira, in 1997. Its initial purpose was producing poultry under the highest biosafety conditions. The development of this System allowed the preview of the good using of several synergies, which were avaiable, in an equation of: reduction, reuse, recovery and recycling. The following diagram shows how the circular economy works in Herdade da Daroeira and how the different activities are complemented.

Sustainability is the center of all circular economy models. At Herdade da Daroeira it means the creation of a value chain - production of food and feed, proper treatment of co-products and waste recovery. As a socioeconomic method, it is revealed through the occupation and fixation of labor in rural areas, in the specific training of workers, in the provision of supplementary conditions to themselves and their families, in the flow of neighboring cereals production (guaranteed an eight days payment ) finally, in the creation of direct and indirect jobs. Environmental sustainability is manifested in the significant reduction of greenhouse effect emissions through: the use of biomass, clean photovoltaic energy, the reuse and recovery of water, the reduction of the carbon footprint by minimizing transport logistics (raw materials and feed) and recycling of slaughter waste. It is also noteworthy that, throughout feed precision formulation it is achievable to reduce the poultry emissions in phosphorus and nitrogen. The recycling of poultry manure and litter through composting and dehydration process, it is possible to obtain safe organic fertilizers. Its application in agricultural soils allows them to constitute a carbon reservoir in land ecosystems, increasing water retention, recycling plant nutrients: N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus) and, lastly, decreasing the leaching of nutrients in soils.