| Our current agricultural practices are a major | | | | paddock prior to planting the target species. For |
| contributor to climate change. A whopping 14% of | | | | example, let's say our target species is corn. |
| all greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to the | | | | Prior to the corn being planted in spring, a |
| way we grow, process, distribute and consume | | | | green-manure crop, such as oats, is planted out in |
| food, and an additional 18% are due to | | | | autumn and allowed to grow through winter. In |
| deforestation largely driven by the clearing of | | | | spring, the oats are tilled into the soil and the corn |
| forests for agricultural land. This problem can | | | | is sown. This is an excellent way of building soil |
| only intensify as our population grows. Imagine | | | | biomass and soil nutrients; however, you still have |
| how many more greenhouse gasses will be | | | | the negative effects of soil tillage, mainly the |
| pumped into our atmosphere in 2050 when the | | | | release of carbon into the atmosphere. |
| estimated world population reaches 9.1 billion. | | | | As you can see, both no-till and organic agriculture |
| Without a drastic change to the way we produce | | | | have their pros and cons. No-till methods store |
| food, we simply won't survive. | | | | carbon but rely on chemicals. Organic farming |
| Traditional agriculture, and even organic agriculture, | | | | uses no chemicals but relies on tilling. |
| relies heavily on tilling the soil to prepare the | | | | A method that combined the soil protection of |
| ground for planting. Tilling, however, has a | | | | no-till farming and the non-toxicity of organic |
| number of undesirable side-effects, such as: soil | | | | farming would be ideal – agricultural heaven. |
| erosion, loss of organic matter, destruction of | | | | There are people around the world who are |
| living soil microbes, dependence on heavy | | | | working towards this ideal. These pioneers, |
| machinery, loss of soil structure, loss of nutrients | | | | referred to as no-till organic farmers, are still |
| and soil compaction. However, there is another | | | | working out a few bugs. |
| negative side-effect of tilling that many people | | | | With this revolutionary method, a green-manure |
| may be unaware of, and that is carbon | | | | cover crop is planted out prior to the target |
| oxidization. Tilling causes the carbon in the soil to | | | | crop. However, when the time comes to plant |
| be oxidized which releases it (the carbon) into the | | | | the target species, the green-manure crop is not |
| atmosphere. This, of course, increases | | | | tilled into the soil, and neither is it killed with |
| greenhouse gasses and contributes to climate | | | | herbicide. Rather than being tilled or sprayed, the |
| change. | | | | green-manure crop is killed using a mechanical |
| Over the past 30 -40 years there have been | | | | method called crinking. A large roller with blunt |
| people experimenting with no-till agriculture. No-till | | | | blades set at intervals is rolled over the |
| agriculture uses a range of practices so that tilling | | | | green-manure crop. The blades crink, but not |
| is rarely or never used, resulting in the following | | | | cut, the stems of the cover crop. It also |
| advantages: improved soil structure, better water | | | | flattens the cover crop so that it becomes a |
| and nutrient holding capacity and less use of | | | | dense, dead organic matt covering the soil. Then |
| machinery. However, one of the biggest | | | | seed is sown using a direct-drilling method through |
| advantages of no-till agriculture is that the soil can | | | | the dead matt. The dead green-manure crop is |
| store much more carbon. This means that there | | | | still attached to the soil via its dying roots. This |
| will be more carbon in the plants and soil and less | | | | offers excellent soil protection and the dense |
| in the atmosphere. In other words, agriculture | | | | matt offers weed suppression and moisture |
| has the potential to become a fighter against | | | | retention. It also increases soil biomass and builds |
| climate change. Wouldn't that be a turnaround? | | | | nutrients. |
| So far, no-till agriculture has been heavily | | | | The beauty of this method is the fact that |
| dependent on herbicides. When I attended | | | | agricultural land can act as a giant carbon sink. |
| agricultural college in the late eighties, no-till | | | | This is a complete turnaround as agriculture is |
| agriculture was in its early developmental stages. | | | | presently a major producer of greenhouse |
| It was seen as unorthodox and alternative – a | | | | gasses. It is believed that no-till farming has the |
| little way out. We were taught that paddocks | | | | potential to store a staggering 3000 pounds (1360 |
| needed to be sprayed out with herbicide first. | | | | kilograms) of carbon per acre. No-till organic |
| The dead plants, which were called stubble, were | | | | farming has the potential to become a major |
| left standing. Then seed was sown through the | | | | fighter against climate change, and provide |
| stubble, using a direct-drilling method. The stubble | | | | healthy, chemical-free food at the same time. |
| offered soil protection and increased biomass, | | | | On a small scale, no-till organic food production is |
| which is great. However, the method was | | | | actually very easy. Food4wealth is an ideal |
| completely dependant on chemical herbicides. | | | | example of this revolutionary way of producing |
| The organic industry, which is generally seen as an | | | | food. Food4wealth is a small-scale, |
| environmentally positive industry, does things quite | | | | easy-to-follow, organic food-growing method that |
| differently. They use a combination of | | | | retains a dense coverage of plants and uses no |
| green-manure crops and tilling. Green-manure | | | | tilling. A food4wealth plot is just like a |
| crops, such as oats, millet, clover, and many | | | | mini-carbon sink. It takes carbon from the |
| more, are commonly used and sown into a | | | | atmosphere and turns it into healthy, organic food. |