This article is brought to you thanks to the collaboration of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum.
Author: Katharine Rooney, Senior Writer, Formative Content
Our soil is under threat.
It’s estimated that we’ve got just 60 years of topsoil left, with 24 billion tons of fertile soil lost every year.
With most of the food on our plate dependant on soil, its declining health is a major issue.
[…]
On his own North Dakota ranch, Brown started encouraging cover crops and avoiding tilling were he could – and has seen a boost in soil health. Farming in this way comes big benefits too – regenerative agriculture could deliver up to $1.4 trillion in increased crop production, without using any more land.
Failure to act isn’t just bad news for our food system, though. Loss of topsoil leads to more wildfires, droughts and floods – and accelerates climate change.
The 5 principles
As a result, Brown has developed 5 principles to mitigate the loss of top soil.
1. Minimise mechanical or chemical disturbance
2. Armour the soil
3. Promote diversity
4. Leave living roots in the soil
5. Use animals as nature intended
[…]
The Most Revolutionary Act 
Reblogged this on Worldtruth.
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Translation: Common sense works. Too bad it’s so rare.
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What really gets me, Katherine, is why farmers aren’t taught how to do this. It’s amazingly easy and costs far less than fossil-fuel based fertilizer. Even here in New Zealand, where the Green Party is part of the coalition government (our Climate Change minister is supposedly a Green Party member).
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