From HR to Harvest: One Woman's Agroecology Farm in Chamarel

Nestled in the village of Chamarel, in the scenic Black River district of southwestern Mauritius, Catherine Houbert is doing something quietly radical. She grows food the way nature intended, without pesticides, insecticides or chemical fertilisers.

Houbert is the founder of Ti Bout Chamarel, an agroecological garden she established four to five years ago. Her background had nothing to do with farming. She spent years working in human resources, both in Mauritius and in Dubai, before a personal turning point led her to change direction entirely.

The catalyst was the death of a family member from cancer. "At that time, nobody had cancer. You never heard about it," she recalled. "That made me think." She began questioning the quality of the food people eat and the invisible role that agricultural chemicals might play in long-term health.

She went on to train in agroecology, permaculture and organic farming. These disciplines share a common philosophy: working with natural systems rather than against them, building healthy soil, preserving biodiversity and avoiding synthetic inputs.

Agroecology, as Houbert describes it, is simply "farming in a way that respects nature and the land." At Ti Bout Chamarel, that philosophy is visible in every corner of the garden. The property is home to around 350 fruit trees and close to 1,000 perennial plants, species that regrow year after year without needing to be replanted.

"I always want to offer clean products, products with no pesticides, no insecticides, no chemical fertilisers, grown the way nature intended," she said.

Her story reflects a broader, slowly growing interest in sustainable agriculture in Mauritius, a country where the farming sector has historically relied heavily on conventional methods, including significant use of agrochemicals on sugar cane and vegetable crops. Small-scale producers like Houbert represent a different model, one focused on soil health, ecological balance and food safety over volume and speed.

What this means: For consumers in Mauritius, farms like Ti Bout Chamarel offer an alternative to supermarket produce that may carry pesticide residues. For anyone interested in food security, sustainable land use or simply eating better, the agroecological movement is growing on the island, quietly but steadily, one garden at a time. Visitors and buyers looking for locally grown, chemical-free produce now have more options than ever, particularly in the rural southwest where land and biodiversity still allow for this kind of farming.

Chamarel is best known internationally for its coloured earth geopark and rum distillery, but projects like Ti Bout Chamarel suggest the village is also becoming a small hub for ecological agriculture and conscious living.

Source: ION News