SQUEEZE THE DAY!
Highlights from our 2026 visit to one of our orange growers near Valencia
After a ridiculously early flight from foggy Gatwick, we landed on a bright January day in Spain, and met Lorena, Aleix, and the orchard manager Jamos along with their amazing team of orange pickers.
They were mid harvesting the early season Navelina oranges that are used in our orange juice blend to give it that old fashioned “wake-me-up” crisp citrusy taste when blended with our Valencia Late and Salustiana variety oranges.
This was one of the many orange groves that we use that are immensely proud of their GLOBAL G.A.P accreditation. This is the highest level of international farming accreditation and provides us with the assurance that thaey use “best-in-class” practices across land management, the environment and their workforce. The orchard has been in the same family for generations and is a major employer in the local community.
One feature of their environmental impact strategy is how they use “beneficial insects” instead of pesticide chemicals to control fruit flies and other insects that damage the crop.
This is a biological control system that uses a natural insect-on-insect approach where the harmful insects fall prey to the beneficial pests. Additionally natural pheromones that disrupt insects mating are introduced into the groves…They simply make it difficult for boys to meet girls! So simple and so clever.
Elsewhere we found evidence of what are called cover crops…plants or natural vegetation that grow between the rows of trees, not directly under them. They help protect the soil from erosion, improve soil quality, reduce weeds and encourage beneficial insects, contributing to a healthier and more sustainable farming system.
And then we finally got to eat some oranges! Straight off the trees. No jokes…the juice was cascading down our arms and making a proper mess. Which made us appreciate the difference between a fresh orange straight off the tree and one that’s picked up in a supermarket back here that’s been sitting in the supply chain for three weeks. No comparison!
And that all comes back to our Folkington’s orange juice. Within 48 hours of leaving the trees, the oranges are driven a short distance from the groves to be pressed, capturing that wonderful freshness ready for bottling!
SUSTAINABLE ORANGES
Find out how we and our suppliers are making a conscious effort to make a positive impact on the environment and the climate at every stage of the journey from tree to bottle, when producing our wonderful orange juice.
TREES
Since 2010 Folkington’s has sourced the same fruit varieties each year from the same farms and farming co-operatives. This sustainable approach to sourcing is a hallmark of Folkington’s.
Orange trees are evergreens, so sequester carbon all year round.
FARMING
Our oranges are grown by farming co-operatives, principally in the Spanish region of Valencia.
Our orange growers are all accredited with Global G.A.P, the world’s most widely implemented farm certification scheme, covering sustainable land management, environmental practices and employee welfare.
PRESSING
Residual gas from internal electricity generation is recycled to create 40% of the factory’s energy requirement.
Residue from surplus water is used in a bio reactor to convert into gas in order to generate electricity.
During pressing, residual organic material is converted into bio fuel for heating, compost and animal feed.
BOTTLING
Our bottling partners generate energy by converting surplus steam into 20% of the plant’s electricity. With an additional 30% coming from solar power.
They also use waste water from the factory to irrigate the surrounding farmland.
They also send 98% of other waste materials for recycling.