It's in soil and the next farmer could plough it all up againĪgroforestry is less convenient for big, mechanised farming to have trees in the way of their tractors even if it does reduce erosion and offers habitat for biodiversity.” It's not like we're locking carbon up in rocks. Despite practices such as tree intercropping and silvopasture being widespread in many parts of the world, large food companies are much keener to push regenerative cropping and managed grazing. Drawdown Labs counts 14 founding members, including the food companies General Mills and Impossible Foods.Īgroforestry is a case in point. It’s an attitude that he retains despite Project Drawdown’s decision last October to launch a corporate partnership programme. The second reason for Foley’s hesitancy about nature-based solutions is a residual scepticism towards business. The organisation’s answer isn’t to put an end to the intensive production of the ubiquitous cereal grain (unwise given that it’s a staple for three billion people), but to farm it more sustainably – with wider spacing, for instance, or with intermittent dry periods. With its feet rooted in lived realities, for example, Project Drawdown advocates not an end to nitrogen fertilisers but rather their reduced (and better directed) use. The problem is that rarely is the transition quite so clean. A straight exchange of slash-and-burn farming techniques for “ conservation agriculture” would be a case in point. Of course, one way of doing this may be to swap current nature-wrecking modes of land use with nature-enhancing alternatives. You can build all the carbon sinks you want on the other side of the ledger, but you have to still turn off the sources of pollution.” This is what a lot of the regenerative guys don't want to talk about. You can build all the carbon sinks you want, but you have to still turn off the sources of pollution Before you think about how best to mop up the mess and fix the warped floorboard, you turn off the tap. The global food system is responsible for around one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions, he notes, with the chief culprits being carbon dioxide from deforestation, methane from cattle and rice production, and nitrous oxide from the overuse of chemical fertilisers. Important as sustainable land-use methods are, priority number one has to be on fixing the current shambles. First, agriculture’s carbon footprint is way out of whack. So even if nature-based solutions weren’t his bag (his specialism is atmospheric science), he has a ready script to read from. (His CV includes various professorships and prizes, including the prestigious Heinz Award for the Environment).Īnd besides, the ink is still wet on Project Drawdown’s fascinating recent primer on regenerative farming. Prior to joining the San Francisco-based non-profit in late 2018, Foley had built up a successful, 25-year academic career as an environmental scientist. His reluctance doesn’t derive from a lack of knowledge. He is keen on regenerative grazing, for instance, although he is slightly non-plussed by the attention it receives – especially when planting trees or deep-rooted grasses is equally effective at trapping carbon in the soil. Before you mop up the mess, you turn off the tap An hour-long interview offers up just a few crumbs. As he readily admits: “Nature is a better engineer than we are.”Īll the same, Project Drawdown’s director doesn’t seem especially interested in discussing such solutions in detail. Planet Earth’s ecosystems have been balancing one another out for millions of years. There’s no question that Jonathan Foley is a fan of natural solutions. Nature-based approaches feature highly, especially when it comes to land sinks and agriculture – two sectors on which the science-heavy advocacy group places special emphasis. Its current list, which runs to 81, ranges from LED lighting and microgrids to restored wetlands and walkable cities. Project Drawdown enjoys a reputation as the go-to place for proven, pragmatic solutions to today’s climate crisis. Oliver Balch interviews Project Drawdown’s Dr Jonathan Foley, but finds him oddly reluctant to talk about regenerative agriculture
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |