Increasingly frequent droughts are destroying food production levels in the more drought-prone half of sub-Saharan Africa. Although most people have attributed this gathering crisis to climate change, about 80% of the cause of the droughts is that fallowing–allowing the forest to grow for fifteen years or more to replace the soil’s organic matter–is on its deathbed. The good news, however, is that there exists an extremely simple technology, called “green manure/cover crops,” that can reverse these soil organic matter losses within just a few years, at virtually no cost to the farmers. Even more amazing is that organic matter is 50% carbon. If all the world’s farmers and ranchers were to sequester as much carbon/acre/year in their soils as tens of thousands of smallholder African farmers are already doing, they would sequester, long-term, over 50% of all the carbon the world needs to sequester in order to reach the goals of the Paris Climate Accords.
Roland Bunch: has worked as a consultant in sustainable agricultural development for over 45 NGOs and governments in 50 nation
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Presented at Blessed Unrest conference via online, extending across weekends in April & May of 2020
#foodsecurity #smallfarms #familyfarm
Tag: rainwater
Improving Food Security of Smallholder Farmers with Roland Bunch
Increasingly frequent droughts are destroying food production levels in the more drought-prone half of sub-Saharan Africa. Although most people have attributed this gathering crisis to climate change, about 80% of the cause of the droughts is that fallowing–allowing the forest to grow for fifteen years or more to replace the soil’s organic matter–is on its deathbed. This problem has in turn caused a huge drop in soil organic matter and a resulting fall of rainwater infiltration rates from 60% to between 10 and 20%. The good news, however, is that there exists an extremely simple technology, called “green manure/cover crops,” that can reverse these soil organic matter losses within just a few years, at virtually no cost to the farmers. Even more amazing is that organic matter is 50% carbon. Putting all that organic matter back into the soil sequesters tremendous amounts of carbon. In fact, if all the world’s farmers and ranchers were to sequester as much carbon/acre/year in their soils as tens of thousands of smallholder African farmers are already doing, they would sequester, long-term, over 50% of all the carbon the world needs to sequester in order to reach the goals of the Paris Climate Accords.
Roland Bunch has worked as a consultant in sustainable agricultural development for over 45 NGOs and governments in 50 nation
Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/
Connect with us
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bio4climate
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bio4climate
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bio4climate/
Presented at Blessed Unrest conference via online, extending across weekends in April & May of 2020
#foodsecurity #smallfarms #smallbusiness
Water, Land, and Climate –The Critical Connection
Written and edited by Jan Lambert with contributors from around the world.
Jan’s Quick-Take
I spent many hours researching, talking to experts and choosing articles from around the world to come up with what I think is a unique, inspiring and practical collection centered around rainwater infiltration and climate restoration!
Abstract
Water restoration is the key to climate restoration. With almost 100 pages of articles, photos and illustrations contributed by approximately 20 contributors from around the globe, this book shows how simply retaining rainwater in soil and plants can work to restore landscapes and climates that have been degraded through poor water management. From homeowners, farmers, and foresters, to entire communities, we can all help to renew local water cycles that are essential for our climates, and for humanity and all life on Earth.
Jan Lambert: Retain the Rain, No More Down the Drain!
Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/
Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/
Jan Lambert introduces, by way of photos and illustrations, the richly varied ways in which rainwater is now being successfully restored into landscapes. From holistic green pastures in America to green roofs in Scotland, from using beaver dams as models for water retention to jumpstarting new forests by curbing erosion, huge strides are being made in forest, farm, desert, and city to renew the water cycle, reduce floods and drought and renew hope for nature and humanity.
Presented at Biodiversity for a Livable Climate’s “Restoring Water Cycles to Reverse Global Warming” conference October 16th-18th, 2015 at Tufts University.
#rainwater #restoration #holistic
Michal Kravcik: The New Water Reality (with captions)
Innovative Slovakian hydrologist Michal Kravčík gives an introduction to his New Water Paradigm and the critical importance of regional or “small” rainwater cycles. The result is a set of empowering ecological concepts that enable people everywhere to secure clean and adequate water, prevent floods and drought and moderate local climate, simply by harvesting rainfall. Since the 1990s he has demonstrated these concepts in his native Slovakia.
Presented at Biodiversity for a Livable Climate’s “Restoring Water Cycles to Reverse Global Warming” conference at Tufts University, October 16th-18th, 2015.
Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/
Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/
#hydrology #waterconservation #rain