Andrew Doré made a significant career shift at the age of 35 that many would find daunting. After spending 14 years in Japan’s corporate world, being fast-tracked into management and eventually serving as the head of procurement for a major vehicle manufacturer, he reached a turning point.

He’d enjoyed his time abroad but began to feel a sense of disconnection and wished instead to make a meaningful contribution to society.
It was this realisation that in 2015 led him back to South Africa, where he embarked on an entirely new journey as a farmer.

Passion for macadamias

Doré’s interest in agriculture, particularly the macadamia industry, sparked the idea of running his own farm. When he acquired his 30ha farm, which he called Villa Doré, near Port Edward in KwaZulu-Natal, it was predominantly a banana farm, and the soil condition troubled him deeply.

“The ground was bare, there was no life in it, and I thought this was not right,” he reflects.

Driven by a passion for natural farming methods, Doré decided to convert part of the banana farm into a macadamia orchard. This was not just a business decision but a mission to restore and rejuvenate the land.

“My father was not keen on bananas at all,” recalls Doré, a sentiment that influenced his decision to remove some of the bananas and plant macadamia seedlings. However, this decision came with significant challenges. Macadamias take seven years to start fruiting, and by removing his main cash crop, Doré faced a difficult period in managing cash flow.

“I quickly found myself in a very difficult place,” he admits.

But with the unwavering support of his wife and business partner, Akane, they began processing banana products in 2019, a move that would prove crucial to their survival and success.

Diversification and innovation

The idea to process the bananas came from a situation that could have been disastrous. A customer failed to collect a large batch of bananas, leaving Doré with ripening fruit that couldn’t be sold fresh.

“Once they ripen, you can’t ‘unripen’ them and put them back on the tree,” he explains.

This led to extensive research on what could be done with ripe bananas, resulting in the creation of banana cider vinegar under their brand name Adoré Nature.

“It’s an unbelievably healthy product; an immunity booster with amazing properties,” he notes, highlighting its high potassium content and metabolic benefits for metabolism.
Another innovative product was green banana flour, which Doré describes as a prebiotic that nourishes gut bacteria.

“When you look at these two products together – the vinegar as a probiotic and the flour a prebiotic – they work in harmony to enhance gut health,” he explains.

Additionally, he and Akane started making banana chips, further diversifying their product range. “That was the biggest initial challenge we had to overcome, diversifying our business,” says Doré, acknowledging the complexities involved in moving from agriculture to agro-processing.

Impact of COVID-19

The macadamia industry, like many others, was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. With market closures and an oversupply of nuts, prices fell by more than 50%.

“It just destroyed the small-scale farmer,” laments Doré.

For a producer like him, with only 12ha planted to macadamias, this market downturn was particularly challenging.

“In the past, 12ha could easily support a family of five, but not anymore. Now it’s impossible to even pay your bills,” he says.

The surge in macadamia farming prior to the pandemic, driven by the potential for profit, led to an oversaturated market. Farmers today are spending between R50 000/ ha and R70 000/ha on inputs.

However, Doré’s commitment to organic farming has enabled him to significantly reduce costs.

“My input costs are R7 000/ ha to R8 000/ha,” he says proudly, having developed a cost-effective way of farming macadamias organically.

Organic farming

Doré’s approach to farming is rooted in organic practices, a commitment he made from the start.

“My big inspiration was to farm naturally,” he explains. This decision was driven by the poor state of the soil when he first acquired the farm.

“The soil was hard and compacted. You couldn’t see any insects, and it just didn’t feel right,” he recalls.

This led him to reject the conventional use of herbicides, which, while making farming easier, kills most life in the soil.

“You end up with very compact, hard soil and very little biodiversity. The trees rely completely on fertilisers, and if you stop fertilising, the tree goes into shock,” he explains.

Instead, Doré focuses on building soil health naturally. He allows the grass in his orchards to grow tall, using it as a source of mulch that feeds the soil.

“When I scrape the mulch back, it’s unbelievable how much life there is in this new soil layer,” he says.

The mulch feeds insects, worms, and other organisms that break it down, creating a rich, nutrient-dense layer that the macadamia roots thrive in.

“It’s all about letting nature do the work instead of relying on chemicals,” he emphasises.

Challenges and successes

Despite his commitment to sustainability and organic farming, the road has not been easy for Doré. The collapse in macadamia prices as a result of the pandemic has made it difficult for small-scale farmers like him to survive. However, he remains undeterred.

“We made the decision to process macadamia nuts into chips; this is the world’s first macadamia chip,” he says. By diversifying into processing, he has found a way to add value to his produce and create a unique product that stands out in the market.

Doré’s organic practices have also had a profound impact on his farm’s ecosystem. “The ground is completely different now,” he says.

The soil is now teeming with life, and the farm has seen a resurgence of insectivorous birds that help control pests. “The ecosystem is thriving; nature is doing the work,” he observes.

This approach has not only improved the health of the farm but has also allowed Doré to produce high-quality organic macadamias at a lower cost.

Vision for the future

Doré is focused on expanding the reach of his products and promoting sustainable farming practices.

“None of my products are organically certified, but we’ve been able to move into premium supermarkets in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Gqeberha and Bloemfontein,” he says.

With over 100 health shops and premium supermarkets stocking his products, the business is steadily growing.

Doré’s vision extends beyond his farm. A key reason for his return to South Africa was to contribute to transforming the agricultural landscape. He is involved in a programme aimed at supporting rural growers, helping them to diversify their crops and integrate livestock into their farming systems.

“A rural grower cannot just go and plant macadamias,” he notes, emphasising the need for a balanced approach that includes short-term cash crops like bananas and livestock, and long-term investments like macadamias.

Visit adorenaturesa.com.