The ENTAMA project generates local entrepreneurs in rural areas. Cristina Secades' story reveals her love for the land, which resulted in a sustainable and award-winning business in Asturias, Spain. And where the mini kiwis are the stars
Cristina Secades, a forestry engineer and nature lover, always had in mind that, sooner or later, the field would end up being her office. Always with the conviction that this needed to be done in the most respectful way possible with the environment. The words that his parents told him as a child, many years ago, while they picked apples in the orchard echoed throughout his growing up: “You know, Cris, if you take care of the earth, it will take care of you...”.
Still working for someone else, in 2016, he decided to take the difficult path of recovering two small family farms, in Gijón. Alone, from scratch, using traditional methods, with the help of her parents and without financial support. “I started introducing animals, growing table apples and organic mini kiwi. Throughout this process, I also studied fruit growing, organic agriculture and visited plantations, both here and abroad, maintaining contact with producers and researchers in Portugal, Belgium, Poland, England and the United States”, explains Cristina Secades, founder and owner of Kiwín Bio.
Today, Kiwín Bio is a successful organic mini kiwifruit farm that has won several national and international awards for its innovation. “Here, we are really seeking and promoting sustainability. I always say that organic, ecological, eco, let's call it whatever you want, is more than a certification or a label. The concept goes beyond that, it has to do with agroecology, a way of working that encompasses an entire system and takes into account the entire life cycle of a product, including social and environmental aspects”.
The plantation is supported by its own resources, using the sun as an energy source. An entire system that, together with animals, completes the circle of life to make it as sustainable as possible. “A work philosophy that defends that another type of agriculture is viable: dignified, respectful of nature, ‘by and for people’. With the enthusiasm of those who believe, now more than ever, in the importance of healthy eating.”
The land that her great-grandmother worked so many times, where her father planted apple trees more than 40 years ago and where Cristina spent so many summers with her grandparents, is now this project full of strength and enthusiasm, “a grain of sand to contribute to the reactivation of the Asturian countryside and with which I aspire to be part of the network of people who are committed to offering the best food from the heart.”
Despite their small size, mini kiwis contain five times more vitamin C than oranges. 100 g covers almost 90% of daily needs. With the scientific name Actinidia arguta, they contain more than 20 essential nutrients and are also one of the greatest sources of lutein. They have anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-dermatitis properties, a low glycemic index and contribute to protection against digestive diseases.
Entama was created in 2019 to boost the energy transition and promote the development and reindustrialization of local communities, by supporting projects in territories where EDP has energy production centers or that are at risk of depopulation.