This unique tree crop lends itself well to sustainability practices such as those listed here - and for farmers of other crops, there’s a lot that can learnt and taken away.

With a circular mindset, every loop tightens. Every cost is inspected for its potential to feed value back into the system - adding value that would otherwise have been lost.

It’s a powerful sustainability practice. When done right it becomes a flywheel for improvements and high-impact optimisations. Additionally, it can mean a gentler way of farming - a benefit for the planet.

Let’s outline a few concepts, provide basic examples, and hopefully get you thinking about how you can incorporate this mindset in your own operations or workflows - whether you are in the Avocado industry or not.

Reduce, Reinvest, Repeat.

Reduce inputs where you can, recycle and up-cycle what you already have. Produce energy and future value out of waste - doing this as close to the source as possible.

Reinvest energy, resources, and savings back into producing yield, quality, and the support of your people and communities.

Repeat the process. Gain momentum, and feed the flywheel. This is how the cyclic rhythm of sustainability starts.

But let’s be frank for a second….

It’s a tricky endeavour to practice this type of flywheel approach at scale, for sure. So start small, initiate a pilot project, then work on scaling it up over time. Also, I strongly believe that small and mid-sized enterprises are flexible enough to implement bio-circular operational shifts with greater ease compared to larger operations.

Agricultural areas of Uganda, Kenya, India, Latin America, Asia, South Africa, even California in the US: Operations can find, manage, and benefit from these concepts from day-1, while the benefits compound with consistent practice.

A strong lever for agri-operations who ship products locally or abroad, and who count on every dollar, peso, rand, or rupee that hits their bottom line.

What “bio-circular” means in avocado speak

Biology powers the cycle; while a circular design curbs unnecessary waste.

Each waste-stream is mapped, routed to a physical, biological, or thermo-chemical process, and value is returned to the orchard, ecosystem, or community. Oftentimes all three. Of course, the aim is to turn each stream into an asset.

Typical “byproducts” utilised from the field, fresh fruit production, and oil mills:

• Pruning branches (chipped/mulched)

• Reject fruit and fruit pulp

• Seeds (AKA pips/pits)

• Peels and press cakes

• Wash water and oily effluent

• Low-quality fruit: Avocado fruit that are too small or does not meet market standards for fresh consumption can be redirected toward oil extraction or other refining applications. No waste, only redirection.

• Pulp residue: In the oil extraction process, especially mechanical methods, a residual avocado pulp is produced. This can be used as biofuel, composting material, or dried and incorporated into livestock feed.

• Press cakes: From avocado oil production, these are a byproduct of the mechanical extraction process and are rich in valuable compounds. Sometimes used for animal feed and increasingly explored for use in cosmetics and other value-added products due to high antioxidant content. So there are two roads here… producing a new product to sell, or utilising this byproduct back on site (see notes on pulp residue above).

The Water loop: clean up, loop back

Oil mill effluent and wash water should not leave the site without treatment, and can be reused.

• Pair a small anaerobic reactor with a gravel-reed wetland or a biofilter.

• Treated water irrigates cover crops or feeds back to washing facilities.

The goal is zero odour, zero discharge, and documented reuse. It’s a story you know already: water is one of our most precious resources - it’s good practice to reuse wherever you can.

Seed to heat: Briquettes that replace charcoal

Avocado seeds are dense energy. Dry them properly, carbonise or compress, and you have a cleaner fuel that displaces charcoal and firewood.

Several operators are proving this innovation at scale, including the Briqueen (*by Avotein) which is a seed-briquette line from Uganda. They collect pits from oil factories and convert them into fuel for households and canteens.

Drying matters; and a lower moisture improves carbonisation while reducing smoke when the briquettes are finally used for heating.

Avotein Farms Limited are thus making great strides in turning science into sustainability within their production chain. Fantastic to see.

1-Minute Briquette ROI framework

1. Write down your once-off setup cost.

2. Work out how many kilos of briquettes you’ll make each month.

3. Decide how many you’ll use on the farm and how many you’ll sell.

4. Give each kilo a value: either the local charcoal price per kg (for the kilos you replace on-farm) or your selling price per kg (for the kilos you sell).

5. Subtract your monthly running costs.

   1. The money left over each month is your margin.

   2. Payback is just setup cost divided by that monthly margin.

You can start with a pilot dryer and press. Prove substitution in your own kitchen or staff housing first. Tweak for improvements, then expand to nearby villages only when logistics are stable and you’re happy with the product.

Ultra-formulas (Optional)

• Monthly margin = (Used_kg × Charcoal_price) + (Sold_kg × Selling_price) − Monthly_running_costs

• Payback (months) = Setup_cost ÷ Monthly_margin

• Margin per kg (handy for break-even) = Average_price_per_kg − Variable_cost_per_kg

• Break-even volume (kg/month) = Monthly_running_costs ÷ Margin_per_kg

Tiny worked example (swap with your numbers)

• Setup cost: $5,000

• You make 1,000 kg/month

  • Use 600 kg on-farm – value $1.00/kg

  • Sell 400 kg at $1.00/kg

• Monthly running costs (labour, bags, power, maintenance): $400

Monthly margin
= (600 × 1.00) + (400 × 1.00) − 400
= 600 + 400 − 400 = $600

Payback
= 5,000 ÷ 600 ≈ 8.3 months

That’s it. No fancy maths; just kilos, local prices, and two quick sums.

Using pulp, peels, and press cake for biogas, compost, and pectin production

Biogas broadly speaking is a renewable energy source generated from organic waste that typically fuels a biogas boiler or a small biogas generator (genset) producing heat or electricity.

In your own bio-circular avocado setup, a small biogas-ready genset could turn pulpy waste into electricity (via the digester) and heat for hot water; while you get (1) energy and (2) a nutrient-rich digestate in return - added value for the orchards.

Fruit wastes are well-documented biogas substrates; recent work also looks specifically at avocado oil by-products and their digestion behaviour.

Moreover, avocado peels carry valuable compounds too.

There are two routes that stand out:

• Pectin extraction for food and jam makers; a growing literature base shows workable extraction pathways from fruit peels, including avocado.

• Phenolic-rich extracts for natural antioxidant applications; ultrasound and microwave-assisted extractions are being refined for avocado peel.

If you are early on the capability curve, don’t distress - composting and vermicomposting are the right first steps when it comes to utilising excess pulp and press cake waste. Keep it modular. Layer in extraction when you can once volumes, budget, skills, and infrastructure allow.

Black Soldier Fly: Turning harvest rejects into protein and plant power

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) love fruit waste. Avocado rejects, pulpy press cake, even bits of peel. They convert wet waste into two saleable products: protein and insect frass. They also shrink your landfill footprint in weeks, not months.

Why BSFL fit avocado operations

• High waste reduction. Well-run BSFL systems routinely cut substrate mass by 55–70 %. Higher rates are possible with good feed prep and density control.

• Proven on avocado residues. Trials with rotten avocado as a primary feedstock show strong larval growth and good assimilation efficiency. Practical operators see rapid breakdown of whole fruits.

• Valuable outputs. The larvae become a high-protein feed ingredient for poultry and aquaculture. The frass is a nutrient-rich amendment with clear plant-growth and soil-health benefits.

How to make the loop work on-farm

1. Segregate and size the feed. Keep plastics and string out. Break large fruits. Mix pulpy avocado with drier trimmings to avoid a soggy bed. Aim for a moist crumb, not sludge.

2. Load at the right density. Start with conservative larval densities. Scale once your team can keep beds aerated and odour-free.

3. Harvest on a schedule. Ten to fourteen days is typical for fruit-rich feeds. Stop earlier if you want higher protein. Go longer if oil yield is your target. Keep a simple log of days, weight in, weight out.

4. Finish the frass. Screen out larvae and skins. Cure the frass briefly before field application. Trial rates in nursery trays first. Then band-apply in the orchard.

ROI steps you can run this week

Inputs:

• Kg of avocado waste per day

• Labour hours for sorting and feeding

• Crates, mesh, shallow trays

• Starter larvae

Outputs:

• Kg of fresh larvae per day

• Kg of screened frass per day

• Kg of avocado waste diverted from landfill or paid collection

Where the value comes from:

• Waste handling savings: what you no longer pay for hauling, dumping, or burning wet waste

• Fertiliser displacement: frass replacing part of your chemical fertiliser in trial blocks

• Optional sales: sell surplus larvae or frass locally if there is demand

Basic monthly margin = Waste_handling_savings + Fertiliser_displacement_value + Optional_sales − Monthly_running_costs

Payback (months) = Setup_cost ÷ Monthly_margin

Tip: Start by counting only the first two value streams (waste savings + fertiliser displacement). Treat any sales as upside once your process is steady.

Practical guardrails

• Keep the beds shallow. Oxygen matters.

• Balance wet avocado pulp with drier organics to avoid anaerobic pockets.

• Sun-dry oversaturated feed for a day if needed. Shade nets help too.

• Document everything, and do your own research.

  • But most importantly, take action.

Bottom line: BSFL turn avocado rejects into a circular bundle of protein for birds and a soil-building amendment for trees. Less waste. More value.

Data-first farming: Put inputs where they pay

Circularity works best when guided by evidence.

Use remote sensing and smart sampling and direct organic inputs from your circular activities to the trees that need them most.

• Multispectral maps (NDVI for young canopies; NDRE for mature ones) guide where compost, frass, and liquid digestate will return the highest marginal gain.

• Thermal insights flag water delivery issues before you waste fertiliser on heat-stressed zones that would benefit from water delivery, drainage, or root aeration protocols more than dumping of compost with reckless abandon.

• Smart sample waypoints keep leaf, soil, and fruit checks consistent, making trials robust and data reliable. Technologies already available today can help you to keep on top of sampling, results, and your orchard health plans.

This is how technology-first thinking reinforces the sustainability loop.

A simple on-farm blueprint

Week 0-2: Map the flows
Measure average weekly volumes for seeds, peels, pulp, and water. Sketch distances and handling touch-points.

Week 3-8: Two fast pilots

1. Seed briquettes – sun-dry tests, small press, in-house fuel switch. Track smoke, heat output, and staff feedback.

2. BSFL starter – one crate stack; feed with pulpy rejects; weigh larvae outputs and frass.

Week 9-12: Decide the energy core

• If residues are consistently wet: size a biodigester.

• If residues are mostly pits and dry cake: scale briquettes and add a better dryer.

• If you have a local buyer for pectin or extracts: trial a bench-top peel line.

Quarter 2: Close the soil loop
Blend frass, compost, and screened digestate. Apply variable-rate in two trial blocks. Track yield, variance, and fruit size distribution against untreated controls.

Commercial side-hustles you can bolt on

• Community fuel – sell briquettes into schools and clinics; prioritise clean-cooking partners.

• Protein packs – BSF meal for local poultry co-ops; offer frass as a bundle. [Here’s an interesting aquaculture example]

• Ingredient sales – pectin or antioxidant extracts to jam makers or nutraceutical kitchens.

What good looks like in 12 months

• 60–90 % of organic waste diverted from landfill or open dumps.

• Diesel, LPG, or charcoal use cut by a measurable margin.

• A documented nutrient-return programme per block.

• Two paying off-takes beyond your farm gate.

• A simple dashboard that links cost, waste volume, energy output, and yield.

• Data levers to monitor efficacy and orchard health in the form of smart-app’s and drone-data info.

A real-world spark

It is encouraging to see operators like Avotein in Uganda publicly share seed-to-briquette progress and the discipline of moisture management before carbonisation. That is the kind of practical detail rural enterprises can copy; collect pits, dry them well, convert to fuel, and keep the money in the village.

I’ll be sharing South Africa’s own eco-briquette story in an upcoming post later this month, where reusing Macadamia byproducts is the core focus. If you’ve enjoyed the Avocado example, be sure not to miss this one - stay tuned!

Make your own plan

If you produce avocados and want to prototype a bio-circular line, start with seeds, pulpy rejects, and water. Prove one or two of the loops. Then add a third. Build only what your people can operate “on a tough Tuesday in the rainy season” as they say.

The thinking starts here, but the real change starts when we take action.

On paper, the avocado operation looked respectable. Blocks spread across rolling hills, healthy cash flow from years of development, and a loyal team who knew the orchards like the backs of their hands.

But the spreadsheets told another story: profitability was slipping.

Block by block, the data revealed a pattern that gnawed at him. Several orchards weren’t just underperforming - they were bleeding money! Input costs were rising faster than income per hectare.

Fertiliser, energy, irrigation, labour, fuel… all went into operations; yet the returns stubbornly lagged behind. For some blocks, the break-even line had already been crossed, and in the wrong direction.

The first instinct was denial. Maybe the next harvest would surprise them in a good way? Maybe fruit quality would pull through? Maybe a spike in market demand? Let’s hope that foreign producers fall on some bad luck and come in with an undersupply.

Hmm… feels like gambling or wishful thinking at best.

As Willem poured over the past five seasons of records, a grim picture emerged: The underperforming blocks weren’t anomalies. They were part of a trend.

That’s when the drone scans came in.

On the platform screen, problems lit-up in shades of stress and low canopy volume.

Two blocks in particular were glowing red on the map: small, shrivelled canopies where lush green ought to be. In contrast, neighbouring blocks pulsed with healthy vigour; the kind of vegetation maps that inspire confidence before harvest.

Next, Willem walked those blocks himself, guided by insights from above. The differences were undeniable.

1. The struggling orchards sat on the windward slope of the farm.

2. The trees were stunted, battered by prevailing winds that pummelled the slope, and funnelled down the valley.

3. Digging deeper (quite literally) revealed shallow soils over rock. Recent soil mapping confirmed it was a poor planting choice made years ago.

He faced a brutal choice: Continue to pump inputs (fertiliser, water, pesticides) into trees that could never repay the investment. Or cut his losses.

In this moment, he chose the latter. The blocks were pulled out, land left fallow. Resources of time, labour, and capital… were all redirected into orchards with stronger prospects. It was a painful decision, but the right one.

Yet, not all challenges were so clear-cut. Other orchards, though still profitable, weren’t living up to their potential. Drone-supplied per-tree insights uncovered the culprits: pockets of trees dragging down the block averages. Broken branches from careless tractor passes. Trees hit by Phytophthora root rot. Gap-fillers that never took-off - stunted. Some trees drowned by over-irrigation; others shaded out, while dozens had quietly faded from neglect.

Here, the strategy was different. Willem kept most of the block intact, but he moved quickly to act on the outliers. Diseased trees were removed. The salvageable ones were nurtured with root health interventions tailored to their needs. Irrigation inadequacies fixed.

The next season, yields lifted. Not dramatically, but noticeably. Enough to cover the cost of the interventions and push the block’s ROI back into positive territory.

The season after, the recovery gathered pace. It was proof of a principle: a block doesn’t have to be perfect, but every tree matters. Collectively they really do matter.

And then came the problem child.
One block, year after year, refused to improve. Drone scans compared to neighbouring blocks on the same cultivar told the story: lower health, weaker vigour, poor fruit size, awkward sizing distributions.

Historical harvest data echoed it. Some years, the fruit were acceptable. More often, it they short. Small, misshapen, inconsistent quality, and overall low tonnages.

The suspicion grew: and after some investigation, the truth came out. This was a rootstock problem. Perhaps the nursery stock had been sub-par, or the rootstock choice was ill-suited to the soils. Whatever the reason, the block was flawed at its very foundation.

Now Willem faced his toughest decision yet. Should he replant? Rip out the trees, rework the land, and start afresh? That meant years of sunk cost before any fruit came back into production. Or should he push harder with targeted inputs, hoping to nudge the block over the profitability threshold, season-by-season?

Neither option was easy. Both carried risk. Both required faith.

This was no longer just about canopy maps or yield curves. It was about the manager’s philosophy of farming. Was he building for the next quarter’s numbers, or the next decade’s?

Yes, in this case what the drone scans had given him wasn’t an exact answer. But it gave him some power. Power to make decisions. An authoritative mix of expertise, experience, and hard hitting data.

And it was clarity. Clarity in the way of seeing the problem in all its complexity. And in farming, clarity can be the most valuable tool of all.

The thinking starts here, but the real change starts when you take action.

Looking at the statistics behind this newsletter, one thing is clear….

A large portion of my readers are directly involved in the avocado industry. (glad to have you here - thanks for reading!)

And come to think of it, that makes sense. Avocados are one of the most dynamic crops in global agriculture right now. A crop under pressure, but also one full of opportunity.

Over the years I’ve seen how much value agricultural technologies can bring to avocados. And it’s also a crop I’m personally interested in.

I believe that tech driven value will only increase with time - and it’s speeding up.

From orchard management to genetics. From market forecasting to on-farm data. Avocados are uniquely positioned to benefit from the tools of modern AgTech.

With the above firmly in mind, I’m starting a new blog series focused specifically on avocados. You will likely see an avo-related blog post going out to subscribers every week or so.

In the months ahead we’ll explore themes like innovation and experimentation in orchards, the role of data in farming decisions, genetics and propagation, diversification into peripheral crops like coffee, Macadamia, Banana, etc - and the sustainability challenges that are part of the future of this industry.

My aim is simple: To highlight practical insights, share real-world lessons, and connect the science and technology of tomorrow with the decisions being made on avocado farms today.

If avocados are part of your world, I think you’ll find plenty of value in this series.

The thinking starts here, but the real change starts when you take action.

Whether we’ve been looking at top-tier table grapes, citrus, macadamias, or other high‑value crops, the underlying message has been the same: farming doesn’t stop at the farm gate.

Today’s case study focuses on Hass avocados in Uganda and Kenya - but the lessons cut across every premium export crop. If you farm any high‑value perennial, you’ll see familiar challenges. And perhaps more importantly, you’ll notice lesson on how to avoid the same pitfalls.

Uganda’s Missed Opportunities

Uganda could be a heavyweight in the global Hass avocado trade. The climate is right. The trees are productive. The demand is there. But instead of building a strong export brand, Uganda’s fruit is being funnelled into someone else’s success story.

Kenyan traders cross the border, buy Ugandan Hass, and export it under the Kenyan label. This practice, known as "re-exporting," allows traders to bypass Ugandan regulations and potentially benefit from Kenya's stronger market position.

Kenya gets the brand recognition, the GDP bump, and the credibility in key markets. Uganda is left invisible on the export scoreboard.

Did you know about Uganda’s avocado production till right now?

The Real Cost of Inaction

A few farmers may benefit in the short term by selling to Kenyan buyers. But nationally, this is a loss of future economic security. Hass isn’t just another fruit; it’s a strategic export crop. Locals feel it should be treated like gold, not as a neighbourhood side hustle.

Other nations get this. Morocco planted Hass a year after Uganda, and has already shipped 100,000 tonnes to Europe this year.

Why Trade Agreements Won’t Save You

Uganda’s current situation is a case study in how trade agreements can be skewed. Kenya actively blocks its own Hass exports during certain months to protect fruit quality and branding. When they need to fill orders, they buy from Uganda. The agreements allow it. The market rewards it. And sadly Uganda’s brand loses every time.

The Fix Is Simple

From October to mid-March (Uganda’s prime export window) no Hass should leave the country unless it’s headed to a true export market. Kenya can buy what’s left after March. This is strategic, enforceable, and critical to protecting Uganda’s market position.

But it’s not only about blocking the outflow. Uganda must also:

• Build its own brand in global markets.

• Educate farmers on quality standards and market timing.

• Price for global realities, not local perceptions.

• Align national policy with long-term export growth.

What Macadamia Farmers Can Learn from This

If you’re a macadamia farmer, this story might sound uncomfortably familiar. While the crops are different, the lessons are the same - and they’re worth paying attention to.

Branding Might Matter More Than Volume

Just like Hass avocados, macadamias are a premium export product. The highest returns come when your product is known, trusted, and positioned in the right market segment. If your nuts end up mixed into bulk commodity streams, you lose control over pricing and perception.

Protect Your Prime Marketing Window

Macadamia prices fluctuate across the year based on global supply flows. If you sell too early, too late, or into the wrong channels, you can miss premium pricing windows. Aligning your marketing strategy with those windows is just as important as growing a quality crop.

Quality is Non-Negotiable

Ugandan farmers selling sub-grade Hass to export buyers risk damaging their entire brand. The same is true for macadamias. Kernel recovery, defect levels, moisture content - these are the metrics that decide whether you’re commanding top dollar or sitting at the bottom of the heap.

Policy & Industry Coordination Count

Uganda’s biggest challenge isn’t agronomy, it’s governance and coordination. In the macadamia world, this plays out in how processors, marketers, and farmer groups align (or don’t) on standards, marketing campaigns, and supply discipline. Without it, farmers compete against themselves.

Well done to The World Macadamia Association on trying to bind stakeholders together in the right way. It’s a positive step in the right direction.

Know the Global Game You’re In

Peru doesn’t care about Uganda’s local avocado calendar. And I doubt China cares about your harvest schedule if Australian and Kenyan macadamias are hitting the market at the same time. The game is global. Timing, logistics, and market intelligence shape profitability just as much as orchard yields.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re farming Hass avocados in Uganda or macadamias in South Africa, the principle is the same:

• Protect your product.

• Protect your market.

• Protect your brand.

If you don’t, someone else will profit from your hard work - and you’ll be left asking why the scoreboard doesn’t reflect the efforts you’ve all put in.

Now is the time for farmers, exporters, and policymakers to think beyond the farm gate. Agriculture is no longer just about production… it’s also about positioning.

If this post has left you with some food for thought, I’d like to get your opinion - feel free to engage in the comments. And as always, thanks for reading.

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