PRESSRELEASE - Eosta joins water stewardship project in South Africa to restore ecosystems
- Eosta commits to multi-year support for WRAP & WWF-led restoration project.
- Safeguarding the future of organic fruit in a key sourcing region.
Waddinxveen, Netherlands, 19 August 2025 – Eosta has officially committed to the UK Food and Drink Pact Water Roadmap Collective Action Project on Water Stewardship in the Western Cape of South Africa. This international initiative, coordinated by WRAP UK and implemented by WWF South Africa, focuses on restoring ecosystems, biodiversity, and water security in a vital fruit-growing region.
In the Western Cape, five river systems – including the Breede and the Berg – provide 97% of the region’s freshwater supply. This Strategic Water Source Area is crucial for agriculture, nature, communities, and the Cape Floral Kingdom (home to the unique fynbos ecosystem).
Climate change and thirsty alien invasive tree species such as eucalyptus, black wattle and pine are placing immense pressure on the water system (using up 200L per plant per day), reducing water availability downstream and increasing the risk of floods and drought. Because rivers and aquifers stretch across entire landscapes, long-term, landscape-level restoration is essential.
Restoration in three catchments
WRAPs Collective Action Project on Water Stewardship is working to restore natural water flows in three catchment areas: Groenlandberg, Koue Bokkeveld, and Hex River. These zones are part of the broader Strategic Water Source Area. The project includes clearing thirsty alien invasive tree species, river restoration, farmer training, knowledge exchange, and biodiversity monitoring.
Since April 2023, over 300 hectares of alien invasive vegetation has already been cleared, more than 75 local jobs have been created, 1.7 hectares of riparian areas have been replanted/reseeded with over 10,000 trees or shrubs and water availability has visibly improved. In addition, restored areas proved to be more resilient to recent flooding than non-restored sites. Current catchment coordinators (who drive the action on the ground) have meanwhile leveraged £1million of additional funding.
Tangible results, concrete commitment
The Western Cape is a key sourcing region for organic fruit. To help safeguard the long-term availability of organic produce from this vital region, Eosta has committed to supporting the project for a minimum of three years – providing financial support, actively participating in project meetings, and contributing hands-on during field visits whenever possible.
Water as a sustainability priority
Water is one of the key pillars of Eosta’s sustainability strategy. As early as 2021, Eosta highlighted the hidden impact of food production in its True Cost Ticker campaign – including the benefits of organic farming for soil health, CO₂ emissions, and water use. Since 2024, water has received even greater priority through a dedicated policy and targeted action throughout the supply chain. The launch of the Organic Raingrown Avocado – grown using only rainwater – marked a first concrete step.
Joining WRAPs Collective Action Project on Water Stewardship in South Africa is a logical next step for Eosta:
“Water stewardship is essential if we want to continue growing and trading organic products responsibly in the future,” says Gert-Jan Lieffering, Sustainable Sourcing Manager at Eosta. “With this project, we are actively contributing to climate-resilient farming, biodiversity restoration and the preservation of natural resources – in a region where we’ve been working closely for many years with growers who are deeply committed to sustainable agriculture.”
Sean Herd-Hoare, water specialist at WRAP and responsible for the South Africa Collective Action Project:
“Water-related challenges require continuous collective action over periods of time to drive impact and improve water stewardship on a catchment scale”
Photos
Photos press release: https://photos.app.goo.gl/yXEx3BT1WXxvvS387
International contact:
Gert-Jan Lieffering
E: gertjan.lieffering@eosta.com
M: + 31 (0) 6 83 54 04 40