PINEAPPLE LEAF FIBER
Santander, Colombia
Santander is the main pineapple producing department in Colombia, according to the Secretary of Agriculture of Santander. Annually Santander produces 355,820 tons in the 14 municipalities.
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Pineapple Leaf fiber
- Product in the market -
This project was born a couple of years ago following the ideals of two companies, Staterra focused on the creation of sustainable agro-industrial enterprises; and Garcés Bottier, focused on the creation of fashion products and with a great interest in sustainable fashion.
Both companies, both from Santander, saw the opportunity in an environmental problem of one of the main crops in Santander, the pineapple.
Today we are proud to present a unique product in Colombia, after years of field research and work with farmers and allies in the sector, pineapple leaf fiber.
Social and Environmental Impact
This product contributes to solving two problems, mainly for pineapple crops in the region:
Burning of waste.
Making good management and use of crop residues after its second harvest (leaves), we avoid burning and environmental contamination that this process entails.
Soil care.
By avoiding burning, we take care of the soil and maintain its properties.
Pineapple Leaf Fiber
We take advantage of the pineapple leaf, applying the circular economy directly in the pineapple crops in Santander.
Our project not only benefits the land and the farmer, but also provides conscious customers with a unique product in Colombia of 100% vegetable origin.
Pineapple leaf fiber, with its valuable physical-chemical characteristics, is a biodegradable and very versatile product that can be used in different industries.
Pineapple leaf fiber plant material is an innovative product made from the waste resulting from the harvesting of this fruit.
Its production does NOT require the use of additional environmental resources, making it a 100% vegetable product.
The fiber is obtained from the pineapple leaf through a process of defiberization. This material is a basic input for products such as yarn, fabric and even vegetable leather.
Social and Environmental Impact
This product contributes to the solution of two main problems of pineapple crops in the region:
It avoids the burning of residues.
By making good use of the crop residues after the second harvest (leaves), we avoid burning and the environmental contamination that this process entails.
It contributes to the care of the soil.
By avoiding burning, we take care of the soil and maintain its properties.
VEGETAL FIBERS
In Colombia, 114 plant species are used to extract vegetable fibers, of which the most recognized are cotton and fique. Recent studies have found other plant fibers marketable in Colombia's agribusiness sector, such as pineapple leaf fiber with characteristics similar to those of fique.
Due to the high demand for fique, pineapple leaf fiber becomes a great alternative for the diversification of products made with this material. Both are classified as hard vegetable fibers or foliar fibers, with a rigid structure. They are a perfect input for the textile, fashion and handicraft industries.
COMMUNITY
We work with a group of small pineapple producers in the region of Lebrija, Santander.
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Green Leaf is an initiative of Staterra and Garces Bottier.
