Nestlé trials the use of bats for natural pest control in tomato crops in Extremadura

To support natural pest control in the tomato crops supplying its factory in Miajadas (Cáceres), Nestlé has installed bat boxes to attract bats that naturally inhabit these agricultural landscapes.

Bats are major insect predators and can play a key role in the natural control and regulation of agricultural pests, including those that attack tomato crops, as well as mosquitoes.

Working with experts from the Museu de Ciències Naturals de Granollers who are part of the BETA Technological Centre at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia, Nestlé has installed 30 boxes that already provide shelter for more than 170 bats from the area.

The boxes have been placed alongside several tomato fields belonging to suppliers of Nestlé’s Solís tomato sauce factory in Extremadura. Monitoring has also identified breeding colonies in four of the boxes, confirming that bats are adapting well to conditions in the crop fields and highlighting the need to provide shelter for these animals, particularly in agricultural areas where natural roosts are scarce.

“On Nestlé’s journey towards sustainable food, the company sees sustainability as a commitment that begins in the field and extends throughout the value chain. Installing these bat boxes is a clear example of how we can protect local biodiversity while supporting natural pest control in tomato crops,” said Jordi Aycart, Supply Chain and Sustainability Director at Nestlé Spain. The project is part of a programme coordinated by Fundación Global Nature and the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN).

Natural pest control

Guano, or bat droppings, has also been collected. A total of 600 samples are being analysed to identify, through DNA, which insects the bats have eaten, helping to demonstrate these mammals’ role in natural pest control.

A recently developed “smart bat box” model is also scheduled to be installed in the coming months. It will enable autonomous, remote, daily monitoring of bat occupancy. The aim is to establish stable populations of bats naturally present in the area that can help control potential pests affecting tomato crops.

Regenerative agriculture

For several years, all fields supplying tomatoes to the Miajadas factory for the production of Solís tomato sauces have been using various regenerative agriculture techniques, helping to improve crop quality and maintain a production environment of higher environmental quality.

Examples include planting cover crops to protect the soil when tomatoes are not being grown, increasing the use of organic matter to reduce synthetic fertilisers, and preserving uncultivated areas between crops as refuges for beneficial wildlife.

As a result, all Solís tomato products made at this facility use tomatoes grown by its suppliers using regenerative agriculture techniques.