Case Study
VI.P x Hula Earth
VI.P uses bird data to demonstrate the difference between organic and conventional farming
Together with Hula, VI.P uses automated biodiversity monitoring in apple orchards in the Vinschgau valley to show that ecological farming practices work.
Before Hula
Good practice, but without continuous evidence
VI.P brings together more than 1,700 apple growers across around 5,500 hectares in the Vinschgau valley. From 2030, the company must demonstrate biodiversity on up to 10% of this land (around 550 hectares), a requirement set by GLOBALG.A.P., among others. The conventional approach would be to take this land out of production entirely: a yield loss of €13.75 to €16.5 million per year.
The Hula solution
Continuous monitoring on organic and conventional land
Together with Hula, VI.P uses automated biodiversity monitoring in organic and conventional orchards. The aim is to show that land which remains in productive use already delivers the required impact.
- BioT sensors record activity acoustically
- Continuous data replace annual sample surveys
- Direct comparison between organically and conventionally managed orchards
The Hula impact
The wryneck as a clear signal
After just a few weeks of monitoring, a clear difference emerged. In the organic orchards, the sensors detected the wryneck, a bird endangered in the Alpine region that feeds almost exclusively on ground-dwelling ants and insects and does not excavate its own nesting cavities. It remained absent from conventionally managed land using crop protection products. This is a clear signal that the soil there supports less life.
The wryneck detection demonstrates something concrete: life in the soil on organic land is visibly different from that on conventional land. VI.P can now continuously document this difference instead of simply assuming it.