Challenges of Agro-Ecological Soil Management Capitalizing on Soil Life and Compost Tobias Bandel Global Soil Partnership, Rome, December 5 th 2012
Challenges of Agro-Ecological Soil Management
Capitalizing on Soil Life and Compost
Tobias Bandel
Global Soil Partnership, Rome, December 5th 2012
Business as usual is no option!
Why?
There is less and less resources…
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CIAT 2010
...growing pressure on the system
Fertilizer
10%
Fertilizer
40%
Nutrient Nutrient
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Wheat Production Cost blue = conventional; red = organic
Potato Production Cost blue = conventional; red = organic
…everything else is too expensive
Sustainable Food Lab/Cool Farm Institute
Ingredients are there
Small-Scale Controlled Microbial Composting
Closed & Controlled Carbon/Nutrient Cycle Stabilized Humues aber 10-12 weeks
Straw
Crop Residues
Manures
Why compost?
(but it’s not the only solution)
Less Loss Soil Structure
Fertilizer
10%
Fertilizer
40%
Nutrient Nutrient
Soil Life through Compost Tea
11
Compost Tea Trials
Trials in Egypt, India and Kenya showed : a nutrient availability
increase of 5-6 times within 15 days e.g. a decrease of
harmful Nematodes populations of 90% within 15 days
Soil & More’s Vision and Activities
• Compost/Extract • Footprinting
– Soil – CO2
– Water – Sustainability – IT-Solutions
• Carbon Credits through sustainable farming
Large Scale
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...small scale
On-site awareness raising on climate change and implementation CO2-footprinting in cooperation with Fairtrade, Marks & Spencer, Rainforest Alliance